What is the first impression of an object's basic color referred to as?

The first impression of an object's basic color is referred to as hue. Hue represents the distinct characteristic of color that allows us to categorize it into groups like red, blue, green, and yellow. It is the attribute that defines a color's placement on the color wheel and is fundamental in color theory.

When we perceive color, our brain recognizes this immediate response to different wavelengths of light, and that immediate perception is precisely what hue indicates. While other terms like shade, tint, and saturation relate to variations or modifications of hue, they do not describe the basic color itself. Shade refers to a color made darker by adding black, tint refers to a color made lighter by adding white, and saturation describes the intensity or purity of a color. Understanding hue is critical in distinguishing different colors and communicating clearly about them in the context of colored stones and gemstones.