Holliday Pigments’ signature Ultramarine Blue made its small screen debut in a recent BBC TV documentary, presented by Monty Don.
The popular ‘Around the World in 80 Gardens’ series took a trip to Marrakech’s Jardin Majorelle, where the striking blue shade is prominent throughout the garden features, as well as the architecture.
Henri Kosmalski, Holliday Pigments’ European Sales Manager, recently retraced Monty Don’s steps to experience the world’s oldest continuously maintained gardens, originally founded by famous painter Jacques Majorelle in the early 19th century and now co-owned by designer Yves Saint Laurent and business partner Pierre Bergé. The impressive blue villa, which sits at the heart of the gardens, is inspired by traditional Moroccan art and Majorelle’s penchant for the intense blue colour he originally created by crushing pigments in his workshop.
“It truly is a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend a visit to these spectacular gardens,” says Henri Kosmalski. “It was particularly intriguing for me, having seen the full ultramarine production process, to admire the beauty of the finished product in all its grandeur. No other combination of pigments can match the same red-blue, vivid shade that makes Ultramarine so sought after across the globe. The unique richness of the colour certainly added to what is naturally a beautiful setting.”
Holliday Pigments is the world’s leading supplier and manufacturer of Ultramarine Blue. Recent research and development has focussed on producing a pigment with improved performance for exterior applications. The resulting newly launched Grade 59 delivers 50% greater acid resistance for coatings and paints, counteracting exposure to the twin degrading effects of acid rain and high energy solar radiation.
“Ultramarine blue carries particular significance in Muslim religion and the colour blue is a seen as a sign of wealth in North Africa. Today, approximately 100 – 150 tonnes of Ultramarine are used every year in architectural projects across these regions,” says Holliday Pigments’ Global Sales & Marketing Director, Dominique Boulenger. “Such applications would certainly benefit from Grade 59’s resilient properties, especially in areas where acid rain and prolonged periods of intense sunlight are a common climate feature.”
-ENDS-
Notes to Editor: About Holliday Pigments
Holliday Pigments is a world leading supplier of ultramarine pigments which are used in a variety of applications including plastics, coatings, cosmetics, artists colours and printing inks. Exporting to over 80 countries, Holliday Pigments has dedicated customer and technical service teams at its factory in France and its commercial offices in the UK, Malaysia, China and the USA.
Holliday Pigments has a proud 120-year history in the manufacture of technical quality ultramarine and is the only ultramarine manufacturer in the world to have invested in Flue Gas Desulphurisation plants, reducing sulphur dioxide emissions inherent in the manufacturing process by more than 99.5%.
Holliday Pigments is part of the Yule Catto Group. Formerly assigned to Performance Chemicals, it now sits within the organisation’s newly restructured Impact Chemicals Division. There are four companies consolidated within this division, each serving unique markets, namely: Holliday Pigments, William Blythe, Oxford Chemicals and PFW. |