Violet (color)

As the name of a color, violet (named after the flower violet) is used in two senses: first, referring to the color of light at the short-wavelength end of the visible spectrum, approximately 380–420 nm when indigo is recognized, or more commonly 380–450 nm^[1] (this is a spectral color). Second, violet may refer to a shade of blue and a shade of purple, that is, a mixture of red and blue light, and not a spectral color (see a discussion of the distinction between violet and purple). Spectral violet is outside the gamut of typical RGB color spaces, and therefore it can be approximated but cannot be reproduced exactly on a computer screen.

The complementary color of violet is the color chartreuse, a greenish yellow.

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Approximations of spectrum violet

Color wheel violet

The color at right is called color wheel violet because, by its color formula, it is the color precisely halfway between magenta and blue on the HSV color wheel. It is also called near violet because this color, when plotted on the CIE chromaticity diagram is equivalent to a visual stimulus of approximately 422 nanometers on the spectrum, barely on the violet side of the transition between the violet and indigo parts of the spectrum, which occurs at approximately 420 nanometers if indigo is accepted as a spectrum color.

Electric violet

The color at right is electric violet, the closest approximation to middle spectrum violet that can be made on a computer screen, given the limitations of the sRGB color gamut within the CIE chromaticity diagram. When plotted on the CIE chromaticity diagram, this color would have approximately the hue of a visual stimulus of about 400 nm on the spectrum, in the middle of the violet part of the spectrum. Thus another name for this color is middle violet.^{[citation needed]}

Vivid violet

Displayed at right is the color vivid violet, a color approximately equivalent to the violet seen at the extreme edge of human visual perception. When plotted on the CIE chromaticity diagram, it can be seen that this is a hue corresponding to that of a visual stimulus of approximately 380 nm on the spectrum. Thus another name for this color is extreme violet.^{[citation needed]}

Other variations of violet

Deep violet

Displayed at right is the color deep violet, a violet in brightness (value) between electric violet and pigment violet.

Pigment violet (web color dark violet)

The color box at right displays the web color dark violet which is equivalent to pigment violet, i.e., the color violet as it would typically be reproduced by artist's paints, colored pencils, or crayons as opposed to the brighter "electric" violet above that it is possible to reproduce on a computer screen.

Compare the subtractive colors to the additive colors in the two primary color charts in the article on primary colors to see the distinction between electric colors as reproducible from light on a computer screen (additive colors) and the pigment colors reproducible with pigments (subtractive colors); the additive colors are a lot brighter because they are produced from light instead of pigment.

Pigment violet (web color dark violet) represents the way the color violet was always reproduced in pigments, paints, or colored pencils in the 1950s. By the 1970s, because of the advent of psychedelic art, artists became used to brighter pigments, and pigments called "Violet" that are the pigment equivalent of the electric violet reproduced in the section above became available in artists pigments and colored pencils. (When approximating electric violet in artists pigments, a bit of white pigment is added to pigment violet.)

Web color "violet"

The so-called web color "violet" is actually a rather pale tint of magenta because it has equal amounts of red and blue, and some of the green primary mixed in, unlike most other variants that are closer to blue. This same color appears as "violet" in the X11 color names.

Another name for this color is lavender magenta.

Violet in human culture

Art

• In Chinese painting, the color violet represents the harmony of the universe because it is a combination of red (yang) and blue (yin).^[2]

Food

• The variety of eggplant known as Chinese eggplant has pigment violet colored skin.
• Okinawan "yams" (actually a variety of sweet potato) are colored a deep lavender and in the Tagalog language of the Philippines are called "ube". They are ground up and cooked with sugar, yielding a bright violet colored jam called halaya ube which is sold in Filipino grocery stores. (To see a picture of an Okinawan yam, go to: [1])
• In the United Kingdom in it is traditional to package chocolate in violet colored packaging because of the association of the color royal purple with luxury.^[3]

Jewels

• Amethysts are a shade of violet called amethyst.

Parapsychology

• Psychics who claim to be able to observe the aura with their third eye report that those who are practicing occultists (magickal thaumaturgists) often have a violet aura.^[4] It is said that people with violet auras are forward looking visionaries who may be in occupations such as performance artist, photographer, venture capitalist, astronaut, futurist, or quantum physicist.^[5]

Religion

• Violet is the liturgical color of Advent and Lent in many western churches.
• Violet is the color associated with the New Age deity Saint Germain. ^[6]
• The Invocation of the Violet Flame is a system of meditation practice used in the "I AM" Activity and by the Church Universal and Triumphant. It is believed to be invoked from Saint Germain and practicing it is part of these religions' devotion to Saint Germain.

References

See also

• Ultraviolet
• High energy visible light
• Lavender
• List of colors
• Purple