Aureolin #FDEE00: pigment, meaning and history

Aureolin is a medium yellow pigment, transparent and lightly staining, with a vivid greenish tone. First made in 1831 from potassium cobaltinitrite, it is known for its use in watercolour and oil painting, though it is more common in watercolours. Its permanence is debated, with some reports of fading.

Share on WhatsApp Open in the lab

First made in 1831 from potassium cobaltinitrite
Known as cobalt yellow in some sources
Transparent and lightly staining yellow pigment
Used mainly in watercolour painting
Permanence is debated; may fade in some media

What colour is Aureolin?

Aureolin is a synthetic yellow pigment, sometimes called cobalt yellow. It has a transparent quality and gives a medium yellow with a vivid, slightly greenish cast. The pigment is lightly staining and produces a light-valued, intense colour. It stands out for its clarity and brightness compared to earth yellows, but is less commonly used than other yellows.

Where does Aureolin come from?

The pigment was first created in 1831 by Nikolaus Wolfgang Fischer in Breslau, who described it as a double salt. Its chemical name is potassium cobaltinitrite. Fischer wrote more about it in 1842, and Edouard Saint-Evre independently synthesised it in the early 1850s, introducing it to artists as cobalt yellow. The name 'aureolin' refers to its golden-yellow tone.

How is Aureolin made?

Aureolin is made from potassium cobaltinitrite, a synthetic compound. The preparation involves chemical processes that combine potassium, cobalt, and nitrite ions. Modern procedures for making and identifying aureolin in paintings have been detailed in technical studies.

Where Aureolin is used

Aureolin is used in painting, especially in watercolours, though it is also found in oil paints. It is sold by several manufacturers, but has never been widely popular as an oil pigment. Its transparency and bright yellow tone make it valued in watercolour palettes, where it is available from many well-known brands.

Yellow around the world

What the yellow family means from country to country.

🇦🇺 Australia

The yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.

Sacred and holy Source: Australian Aboriginal flag

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

At the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.

Weddings and marriage Festival and celebration Joy Source: Gaye holud

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

On Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, young women wear yellow and orange saris, a shade called basanti, with flowers in their hair.

Festival and celebration Nature and renewal Joy Source: Pohela Falgun

🇧🇪 Belgium

The Flemish flag is a black lion on yellow, and the Walloon flag a red cockerel on yellow. The language communities are often shown by these colours.

Politics and protest Pride Source: Flag of Flanders

🇧🇳 Brunei

The flag is yellow, the colour of the Sultan. By custom, ordinary people did not wear yellow in the ruler's presence.

Royalty and power Pride Source: Flag of Brunei

🇧🇷 Brazil

The national football team plays in a yellow shirt with green trim, the canarinho. It was chosen in a newspaper contest after the 1950 World Cup final was lost in white.

Festival and celebration Pride Joy Source: Brazil national football team

Shades and relatives of Aureolin

Aureolin is sometimes confused with other yellow pigments, especially those labelled as 'cobalt yellow'. Its colour can fade to greyish or brownish tones, especially in watercolours, which can affect its appearance over time. Other yellow pigments may be used as substitutes due to concerns about permanence.

Colours that go with Aureolin

ComplementaryIts opposite on the wheel

#FDEE00 #0011FF

AnalogousIts neighbours

#FDEE00 #FF6F00 #91FF00

TriadicThree evenly spaced

#FDEE00 #00FFEE #EE00FF

Split complementaryEither side of its opposite

#FDEE00 #0091FF #6F00FF

TintsLighter

#FDEE00 #FFF347 #FFF88F #FDFACE

ShadesDarker

#FDEE00 #C2B500 #857C00 #474300

White text 1.21:1fails

Black text 17.41:1passes AAA

Harmonies are worked out from the value #FDEE00. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.

Questions people ask about Aureolin

What colour is aureolin?

Aureolin is a transparent, medium yellow with a vivid, slightly greenish tone. It is considered an intense and light-valued yellow pigment.

Where does the name aureolin come from?

The name 'aureolin' refers to its golden-yellow colour. It is also called cobalt yellow because it is made from a cobalt compound.

What is aureolin made from?

Aureolin is made from potassium cobaltinitrite, a synthetic chemical compound first prepared in the 19th century.

Is aureolin a permanent pigment?

Reports on its permanence differ. Some sources rate it as permanent, while others find it unstable, especially in oil paints or even in watercolours, where it may fade to greyish or brownish hues.

Where is aureolin used?

Aureolin is used in art, mainly in watercolour painting. It is less popular in oil painting but is available from several manufacturers.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Aureolin", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.

Aureolin