Argent

For other uses, see Argent (disambiguation).

In heraldry, argent (/ˈɑːrdʒənt/) is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to be tinctured argent are either left blank, or indicated with the abbreviation ar.

Argent
Class	Metal
Non-heraldic equivalent	Silver or (white)
Monochromatic designations
Hatching pattern
Tricking abbr.	a., ar., arg.
Poetic designations
Heavenly body	Moon
Jewel	Pearl
Virtue	Innocence

The name derives from Latin argentum, translated as "silver" or "white metal". The word argent had the same meaning in Old French blazon, whence it passed into the English language.

In some historical depictions of coats of arms, a kind of silver leaf was applied to those parts of the device that were argent. Over time, the silver content of these depictions has tarnished and darkened. As a result, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish regions that were intended as "argent" from those that were "sable". This leaves a false impression that the rule of tincture has been violated in cases where, when applied next to a dark colour, argent now appears to be sable due to tarnish.

Argent versus white

Arthur Charles Fox-Davies argued in his book The Art of Heraldry that, though extremely rare, the colour white existed as an independent tincture in heraldry separate from argent. He bases this in part on the "white labels" used to differentiate the arms of members of the British royal family. However, it has been argued that these could be regarded as "white labels proper", thus rendering white not a heraldic tincture.^[1]

Poetic meaning

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.^[2] In addition to the metal silver, Argent is associated with:

• Of jewels, the pearl^[2] (or sometimes crystal)^[3]
• Of heavenly bodies, the Moon^[2]
• Of virtues, innocence^[2]

Gallery

• 
  Arms of Guillemin family (France)
• 
  Arms of the municipality of Degerfors, Sweden.
• 
  Arms of Visdelou family (France)
• 
  Arms of Le Lagadec family (France)
• 
  Arms of Jégou family (France)

References

1. "The Scottish Heraldry Forum Message: Paton - help". Archived from the original on 2003-09-10. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
2. Woodcock, Thomas; Robinson, John Martin (1988). The Oxford Guide to Heraldry. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 53–54. ISBN 0-19-211658-4.
3. Elvin, Charles Norton (1889). A Dictionary of Heraldry. London: Kent. p. 46.