{"name":"Ultramarine","native_name":null,"also_known_as":["azzurrum ultramarine","azzurrum transmarinum","azzuro oltramarino","azur d'Acre","pierre d'azur"],"slug":"ultramarine","values":{"hex":"#120A8F","rgb":"18, 10, 143","hsl":"244°, 87%, 30%","cmyk":"87, 93, 0, 44"},"text_colour_on_it":"white","family":"Blue","countries":[{"name":"Afghanistan","code":"AF","url":"https://rang.cleartrust.cc/countries/afghanistan"},{"name":"Egypt","code":"EG","url":"https://rang.cleartrust.cc/countries/egypt"},{"name":"Italy","code":"IT","url":"https://rang.cleartrust.cc/countries/italy"}],"cities":[{"name":"Sar-i-Sang","url":"https://rang.cleartrust.cc/cities/sar-i-sang-af"},{"name":"Venice","url":"https://rang.cleartrust.cc/cities/venice-it"}],"kinds":["Pigment","Traditional colour","Named shade"],"used_in":["Painting and art","Textiles and dress","Buildings and cities","Ceramics and glass"],"stands_for":["Purity and peace","Sacred and holy"],"emotions":[],"faiths":["Christian"],"made_from":"Mineral or earth","since":"first recorded 1598","materials":[{"name":"lazurite","url":"https://rang.cleartrust.cc/materials/lazurite"},{"name":"lapis lazuli","url":"https://rang.cleartrust.cc/materials/lapis-lazuli"},{"name":"kaolin","url":"https://rang.cleartrust.cc/materials/kaolin"},{"name":"sodium sulfate","url":"https://rang.cleartrust.cc/materials/sodium-sulfate"},{"name":"sodium carbonate","url":"https://rang.cleartrust.cc/materials/sodium-carbonate"},{"name":"sulfur","url":"https://rang.cleartrust.cc/materials/sulfur"},{"name":"charcoal","url":"https://rang.cleartrust.cc/materials/charcoal"}],"colour_days":[],"known_for":["expensive","synthetic","lightfast","non toxic"],"tagline":"A deep blue pigment once made from lapis lazuli, prized for centuries in art","summary":"Ultramarine is a rich blue pigment that was originally separated from the mineral lapis lazuli. Its intense colour and laborious extraction made it highly sought after and costly, especially in European painting. The name reflects its journey by sea from mines in Afghanistan to Europe. Today, most ultramarine is produced synthetically.","key_facts":["Once made by extracting blue from lapis lazuli stone","Traded to Europe from Afghanistan via Venice","Used for the Virgin Mary's robes in Renaissance art","Synthetic ultramarine has been made since 1826","Natural ultramarine was as valuable as gold"],"sections":{"what_it_is":"Ultramarine is a strong blue pigment, deeper than most other blues. The finest examples show a uniform, vivid blue, while lower grades can appear paler or more ashy. Its colour stands out for its intensity and clarity, which made it the most desirable blue for artists before modern times. The pigment is known for its stability in light and with most painting materials, though it can be damaged by acids.","origin_and_history":"The pigment’s name reflects its route to Europe, as it was brought from distant mines in Afghanistan by traders. The blue mineral lazurite, found in lapis lazuli, is its source. Early uses of lapis lazuli as a pigment are seen in Buddhist and Zoroastrian cave paintings in Afghanistan, and later in illuminated manuscripts and murals across Asia and Europe. The process for extracting pure ultramarine was first described in the 13th century and became well known in Italy during the Renaissance.","how_it_is_made":"To obtain natural ultramarine, lapis lazuli was ground and mixed with wax, resins, and oils, then kneaded in a solution made from wood ash and water. The blue particles would settle, separating from colourless material. This process was repeated to get different grades of pigment. In the 19th century, a synthetic version was developed using clay, sodium compounds, sulfur, and charcoal, heated in a kiln. The synthetic pigment is more uniform and brighter than the natural form.","where_it_is_used":"Ultramarine was used in painting, textiles, architecture, and ceramics. In European art, it was reserved for important subjects, especially the robes of the Virgin Mary, to signal purity and high status. Its brilliance also made it popular in illuminated manuscripts and panel paintings. Because of its cost, artists sometimes mixed it with white or used cheaper blues underneath.","what_it_means":"In Christian Europe, ultramarine was chosen for the Virgin Mary’s clothing in paintings, where it came to represent purity and holiness. Its high price also linked it with wealth and devotion, since patrons would spend greatly to include it in religious art. These meanings are specific to European Christian tradition.","related_shades":"There are several related shades, including electric ultramarine, which sits between blue and violet, and International Klein Blue, a modern deep blue. Lower quality ultramarine is paler, while synthetic versions can be more vivid. The pigment is sometimes confused with indigo or other blue minerals, but its intensity and clarity set it apart."},"faq":[{"a":"Ultramarine is a deep, vivid blue. The best samples are a strong, uniform blue, while lower grades can be lighter or more muted.","q":"What colour is ultramarine?"},{"a":"The name refers to the pigment’s journey across the sea to Europe, brought by traders from mines in Afghanistan.","q":"Where does the name ultramarine come from?"},{"a":"It was separated from lapis lazuli by grinding the stone, mixing it with wax and resins, and washing it in a lye solution to collect the blue mineral particles.","q":"How was ultramarine originally made?"},{"a":"The complex extraction process and the long journey from Afghanistan made it rare and costly, sometimes worth as much as gold.","q":"Why was ultramarine so expensive?"},{"a":"It has been used in painting, especially for important religious figures, as well as in textiles, architecture, and ceramics.","q":"What is ultramarine used for?"}],"sources":[{"title":"Ultramarine on Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultramarine"},{"title":"Encyclopaedia Britannica","url":"https://www.britannica.com/technology/ultramarine-pigment"},{"title":"More pictures on Wikimedia Commons","url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ultramarine"},{"title":"Wikidata record","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q219660"}],"photo":{"url":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Ultramarinepigment.jpg","author":"Unknown author","license":"Public domain","source":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ultramarinepigment.jpg"},"attribution":{"based_on":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultramarine","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","license_url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"},"last_refreshed":"2026-10-03T11:54:01.313Z","url":"https://rang.cleartrust.cc/c/ultramarine","note":"Colour pages take their facts from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata, rewritten in Rang's own words with AI assistance; they may contain mistakes. Hex values are approximations: named colours are not fixed standards. Cite the url and keep the attribution.","published_by":"Rang, a ClearTrust publication"}