Colors, Stains, Metals and Furs make up the various forms of coloring a shield or parts of a shield. There are two metals, five main colors, two stains and eight furs. Each color, metal, stain or fur is is given another name in description in blazonry.

There are often times when use of color is not available, and for those times, and hatching , was created to replace colors. Hatching was invented in the 17th century by a Jesuit writer, named Silvestro de Petra Sancta, and as such, may also be called Petra Sancta. Tricking was also created when colors themselves were not available, and the method of simply abbreviating the color, metal, or fur into two letter terms may also be used.

Metals | Colors | Stains | Furs

Metals
Color Example Modern Name Heraldic Name Hatching Example Hatching Description Tricking Abbreviation
 
White Argent
 
Plain field Ar
 
Gold Or
 
Small dots Or
Colors (or Tintctures)
Color Example Modern Name Heraldic Name Hatching Example Hatching Description Tricking Abbreviation
 
Red Gules
 
Vertical lines Gu
 
Blue Azure
 
Horizontal lines Az
 
Green Vert
 
Diagonal lines running top left to bottom right. Vt
 
Purple Purpure
 
Diagonal lines running top left to bottom right. Pu
 
Black Sable
 
Solid black, or a grid of vertical and horizontal lines Sa
Stains (Secondary colors made by mixing colors)
Color Example Modern Name Heraldic Name Hatching Example Hatching Description Tricking Abbreviation
 
Tawny Orange Tenny
 
Horizontal and diagonal lines from top right to bottom left. Ty
 
Brown Gules + Vert
 
Horizontal and diagonals running from top left to bottom right GuVt
Furs
Fur Example Heraldic Name Description
 
Vair

"Vair is indicated by a white and blue pattern said to represent the pelts of a species of squirrel, the blue grey fur from its back arranged alternately with the paler fur from its underbelly."

The Complete Book of Heraldry by Stephen Slater

 
Countervair
 
Potent Potent is in the shape of a crutch.
 
Counterpotent
 
Ermine

"Ermine is the highly prized winter fur of the common stoat. The animal's coat changes color from chestnut brown to white except the tip of its tail which remains black. In heraldry, ermine is shown as as a white field strewn with little black tail tips, usually accompanied by three black dots, which represent the fastening by which the pelts were sewn into a robe. "

The Complete Book of Heraldry by Stephen Slater

 
Ermines
 
Erminois
 
Pean