Orpiment
A golden-yellow mineral pigment once prized for its brilliant colour and rarity
No single value: Orpiment is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, yellow.
Orpiment is a deep yellow to golden mineral pigment made of arsenic trisulfide. Its name comes from Latin for "gold pigment" and it was valued for its clear, bright yellow in art across Asia and Europe. Orpiment is highly toxic and unstable, so its use has declined since safer yellows appeared.
- Orpiment is a brilliant yellow mineral pigment made from arsenic trisulfide.
- It was used in art from ancient Egypt and China to Renaissance Europe.
- Highly toxic and unstable, it fades and turns white with light and age.
- Orpiment was mixed with indigo to make green in medieval painting.
- Its name means 'gold pigment' in Latin.
What colour is Orpiment?
Orpiment is a mineral pigment with a striking lemon-yellow to golden or brownish-yellow colour. It forms in nature as crystals or powder, often found near volcanoes or hot springs. The pigment is known for its clarity and brightness, setting it apart from other yellows which can be duller or more opaque. Orpiment鈥檚 colour can range from pale lemon to a deep, golden shade, and it was once one of the few sources of a clear, bright yellow available to artists.
Where does Orpiment come from?
The name 'orpiment' comes from the Latin 'auripigmentum', meaning 'gold pigment', reflecting both its colour and the old belief that it contained gold. The Greek word for orpiment, 'arsenikon', and the Chinese name 'Ci-Huang' ('female yellow'), show its long history and cultural importance. Orpiment has been known since ancient times, with uses recorded in Egypt, China, and across Asia and Europe.
How is Orpiment made?
Orpiment pigment is made by grinding the natural mineral arsenic trisulfide (As2S3). The mineral forms through volcanic activity, in hydrothermal veins, or by sublimation near hot springs. It can be found as crystals, fibrous masses, or powder. The pigment is prepared by selecting pure mineral pieces and crushing them to a fine powder for use in paints or inks.
Where Orpiment is used
Orpiment was widely used in art, especially before the 19th century. Artists valued it for its bright yellow in painting, manuscript illumination, and lacquer. It was used in Egypt, China, Central Asia, and medieval Europe, appearing on icons, altar pieces, and even the walls of the Taj Mahal. Orpiment was also mixed with indigo to make green. In India, it is still used in rural areas for hair removal and tanning.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
Yellow was the emperor's colour. Under the Ming and Qing dynasties bright yellow robes and yellow glazed roof tiles, as on the Forbidden City, were reserved for him.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Color in Chinese culturePeople wear yellow for Vasant Panchami, the spring festival of the goddess Saraswati. Before many weddings, turmeric paste is rubbed on the bride and groom in the haldi ceremony.
Sacred and holyFestival and celebrationWeddings and marriageJoySource: Vasant PanchamiThe flag is blue, yellow and red. In the 1848 revolution the three were read as liberty, justice and fraternity.
Politics and protestSource: Flag of RomaniaThe 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 holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt 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 marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudOn 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 celebrationNature and renewalJoySource: Pohela FalgunShades and relatives of Orpiment
Orpiment is closely related to realgar, another arsenic sulfide mineral. Both are found together in nature and share similar histories, but realgar is orange to red, while orpiment is yellow. In Chinese tradition, orpiment and realgar are called 'female yellow' and 'male yellow', reflecting their paired use. Orpiment can sometimes be confused with other yellow pigments, but its clarity and golden tone are distinctive.
Questions people ask about Orpiment
What colour is orpiment?
Orpiment is a deep, clear yellow that can range from lemon-yellow to golden or brownish-yellow. It was prized for its brightness and clarity compared to other yellow pigments.
Where does the name orpiment come from?
The name comes from the Latin 'auripigmentum', meaning 'gold pigment', because of its rich yellow colour and the old belief that it contained gold.
What is orpiment made from?
Orpiment is a natural mineral made of arsenic trisulfide (As2S3). The pigment is produced by grinding the mineral into a fine powder.
Why is orpiment no longer widely used?
Orpiment is highly toxic and unstable. It reacts with light and air, fading and turning white over time, and can form dangerous arsenic compounds, so safer yellow pigments replaced it.
Where was orpiment used in art?
Orpiment was used in ancient Egypt, China, Central Asia, and medieval Europe for painting, manuscripts, and lacquer. It was also used in the Taj Mahal's wall decorations and in icons and altar pieces.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Orpiment", 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.
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