that purple is one of the most precious red tones?

Its exclusivity originates from an expensive fabrication. Already in ancient times one used banded dye-murex. They must be caught alive. One gained the purple colorant from the secretion of the glands in a complicated procedure. 12.000 banded dye-murexes produced about 1.5 g purple. For 1kg wool one used 200g colorant. Nowadays this colorant is manufactured synthetically. Roman emperors and academics wore purple robes. In the beginning also young kings wore a purple robe. In the course of time this robe changed red. It was a symbol for the transformation of a young to a mature emperor.