Azure (heraldry)

In heraldry, azure   is the tincture with the colour blue, and belongs to the class of tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of horizontal lines or else is marked with either az. or b. as an abbreviation. The term azure shares its origin with the Spanish word "azul", which refers to the same color, deriving from Hispanic Arabic lāzaward, the name of the deep blue stone now called lapis lazuli. The word was adopted into Old French by the 12th century, after which the word passed into use in the blazon of coats of arms.

As a heraldic colour, the word azure means "blue", and reflects the name for the colour in the Anglo-Norman dialect spoken by French-speaking Norman nobles following the Norman Conquest of England. A wide range of colour values is used in the depiction of azure in armory and flags, but in common usage it is often referred to simply as "blue".

In addition to the standard blue tincture called azure, there is a lighter blue that is called bleu celeste or "sky blue". Neither azure nor bleu celeste is precisely defined as a particular shade of blue, but azure is consistently depicted in a much darker shade.

Azure plain are the arms of the Swiss family Maienthal.

Poetic meanings
The different tinctures are traditionally associated with particular heavenly bodies, precious stones, virtues, and flowers, although these associations have been mostly disregarded by serious heraldists. Azure is associated with:


 * Of jewels, the sapphire
 * Of heavenly bodies, Jupiter (the planet Jupiter is further associated with the metal tin in traditional alchemical/occultistic lore)
 * of virtues, loyalty