Multicolor Jewel Tones Rugs

Which rug traditions are known for multicolor and jewel tones?

American hooked rugs lead our multicolor stock, with 304 of the 979 rugs on this page. Persian and Caucasian village rugs bring the classic jewel tones, and Turkish kilims and needlepoint rugs add bold stripes and florals. Here is how our multicolor stock breaks down.

• American hooked rugs, 304. Folk florals, animals, geometrics and pictorial scenes in many colors. 190 were made in America, most of them antique or vintage, and 113 are new hooked rugs made in China. See American hooked rugs.
• Persian village and town rugs, 189. Tabriz, Kurdish and North West Persian rugs in ruby, indigo, ivory, gold and green, most of them antique: 151 of 189. See antique Persian rugs.
• Caucasian rugs, 39. The purest jewel tones on the page: saturated madder red, indigo, ivory, yellow and green in bold, stepped geometry, as in Shirvan and Kazak rugs. See Caucasian rugs.
• Turkish rugs and kilims, 66. Mostly vintage flatweaves from the mid 20th century in stripes and diamonds. See kilims and Turkish rugs.
• Needlepoint rugs, 66. Florals stitched on canvas, mostly new pieces made in China, with a few English and French examples. See needlepoint rugs.
• Quilt designs, braided and rag rugs. 31 quilt and patchwork designs, 26 braided rugs and 20 rag rugs, mostly American and mostly antique or vintage. See braided rugs.

What are jewel tones, and how were they dyed?

Jewel tones are saturated colors named after gemstones: ruby red, sapphire blue, emerald green, amber, amethyst and topaz. In older hand-knotted rugs they came from a small set of natural dyes combined in many ways.

• A few dyes, many colors. Madder gives reds and pinks, indigo gives blues, and plant yellows give gold. Overdyeing one on another makes green, purple and orange.
• Abrash. Separate dye batches give soft bands of tonal change. In a multicolor village rug, abrash adds life rather than distraction.
• Synthetic dyes. Synthetic dyes reached most weaving areas in the late 19th century, and many 20th century multicolor rugs, hooked rugs and kilims use them. Some early synthetics faded or ran; later dyes are stable. Our natural vs synthetic dyes guide explains how to tell.
• Hooked rug colors. Many American hooked rugs were made from dyed wool strips and fabric scraps, so a single rug can mix colors from many sources.
• Ask for close-ups. Every listing states origin, approximate age and materials, and we can send close-ups of the back or a condition report.

How does a multicolor rug look in different light?

In a multicolor rug, light changes which colors lead rather than the whole rug at once.

• Warm bulbs bring reds, golds and oranges forward and let blues and greens recede.
• North light brings blues and greens forward and quiets the reds.
• Bright sun raises contrast, so a busy pattern looks busier by day.
• Distance. From across a room, many colors blend into one overall tone. Look at the rug from the doorway as well as up close.

How do you decorate with a multicolor rug?

Treat a multicolor rug as the palette for the room. Pick two or three of its colors for walls, upholstery and accents, and let the rug carry the rest.

• With floors. Multicolor rugs sit easily on almost any wood or stone. On a strongly grained or patterned floor, choose a rug with a calmer, more even palette.
• With walls. Warm white or a soft neutral lets the rug lead. For more color, take the darkest tone in the rug for the walls.
• With upholstery. Solid fabrics work best. If you add pattern, change the scale: small patterns on cushions against a large-scale rug.
• By style. Hooked, braided and rag rugs suit cottage, farmhouse and traditional rooms. Vintage Turkish kilims suit mid-century and modern rooms. A Caucasian rug can hang on the wall or sit alone in a minimal room as a piece of art.
• Small spaces. We have 86 multicolor rugs at 2 x 3 and 49 square 6 x 6 rugs, useful for entries, bedsides and round tables.
• Measure first. Our rug size guide explains how to measure, and every listing gives the measured size.

How do you care for a multicolor rug?

Care depends on construction. Every rug here needs a good pad, rotation and gentle vacuuming without a beater bar, and each type has one extra point.

• Hooked rugs. The loops are held in a backing, so avoid beater bars and pet claws that can pull them, and keep them flat rather than folded.
• Kilims and other flatweaves. A non-slip pad keeps them in place and reduces wear. Rotate them so traffic is spread evenly.
• Mixed dyes. With many colors side by side, a spill or soaking can make one color run into another. Blot with plain water and never wash a multicolor rug at home.
• Sun. Different dyes fade at different speeds, which shifts the balance of the palette. Use curtains or UV film in very bright rooms.
• Professional washing. Our rug cleaning service in Manhattan washes hand-knotted rugs with a pH-balanced process.
• Moths. Our moth-proofing service washes the rug first and then treats the fibers.

Glossary of multicolor rug terms

These are the terms you will meet most often in our listings and guides for multicolor rugs.

Jewel tones

Saturated colors named after gemstones, such as ruby, sapphire, emerald and amber.

Polychrome

Made in many colors, with no single dominant ground.

Overdyeing

Dyeing wool a second time over a first color, the traditional route to green, purple and orange.

Hooked rug

A rug made by pulling loops of yarn or fabric strips through a backing. Shop American hooked rugs.

Needlepoint

A rug stitched in wool on a canvas base, usually with floral designs.

Kilim

A flatwoven rug with no pile, where colored wefts form the pattern.

Braided rug

A rug made from braided strips of fabric or yarn coiled and stitched together, often oval or round.

Folk art

Designs drawn by makers outside formal workshops, often pictorial and full of color.