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Ultramarine blue is the synthetic form of a naturally occurring mineral called Lapis Lazuli. From the time of the Pharaohs, Lapis was widely used in jewellery and as the blue pigment in high quality decoration. It was the discovery of its beneficial effects in laundering applications - and the resulting increase in demand - that led, in 1828, to the development of a process for manufacturing the pigment on an industrial scale. The natural product was neither abundant nor cheap nough to justify its use as a laundry aid. Click here for more...
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When the ancient Egyptians came to decorate the works of art that they buried with their Pharaohs, they used a blue pigment of such brilliance that it would enhance the quality and value of any object. The pigment was derived from the semi precious mineral, Lapis Lazuli, and it continued to be used for many centuries. Click here for more...
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The origin and development of Ultramarine as a general pigment - including the manufacturing process - has been described in another publication, ‘Ultramarine – The Eternal Pigment’. This explained how, having been in use for thousands of years, Ultramarine has found its way into many and varied applications, each of which has its own demands on pigment properties. What is required of an Ultramarine pigment used for colouring plastics? Click here for more...