Pileus: convex; 50 – 65 mm diameter; glutinous; dark red brown, liver brown; margin incurved.

Stipe: cylindrical to slightly clavate; 50- 65 × 10-12 mm; glutinous; lilac at first becoming whitish or pale ochre brown, with a distinct ring.

Gills: subdecurrent with a short tooth; lilac maturing to rusty brown; margin fimbriate.

Flesh: pale lilac.

Spore print: rusty brown.

Spores: sublimoniform; 11.5 – 14 × 6.5 – 7.5 µm; coarsely verrucose.

Notes: this is one of the Cortinarius species that used to be in the genus Rozites on account of its conspicuous ring. The ring, liver brown cap and lilac gills appear to be the distinctive macro characters of this fungus.