ColourConsult have created instruments that have measured the color of the paper our euro is printed on, the plastic bottles from which we drink, diamonds large and small, plastic windows and water, egg yolk and egg white, various stones before they were used in kitchens, medicine/tablets before they where bottled, narrow band fabrics before they were used in lingerie, wood for tables and doors, bier, coffee beans , milk bottles and their packages, common kitchen stains to improve detergents and countless other products. Some difficult some easier.
We understand color, and in combination with lighting, optics and the right detector we can give it a number to quantify and communicate.