Colour news
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Rang

All colours

698 colours written up so far, best known first, and 1,292 named values in the swatch book. 90 more are on the list to be written.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
FamilyRedOrangeYellowGreenTurquoiseBluePurplePinkBrownWhiteGreyBlackGold
KindBasic colourNamed shadePigmentDyeColour named from natureTraditional colourNational or team colourHeraldic colourStandard colourScreen colour
Made fromMineral or earthPlantAnimalSyntheticLight only (no pigment)
#FFFF00 Yellow A primary colour between green and orange, seen in sunlight, leaves, and pigmentsBasic colour 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +5 Blue Lapis lazuli A deep blue stone prized for jewellery and the source of ultramarine pigmentColour named from nature 路 馃嚘馃嚝 Afghanistan +5 Green Malachite A banded green mineral and pigment once prized for art and decorationColour named from nature 路 馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt +4 Red Cinnabar A scarlet to brick-red mineral and the main source of mercury and vermilion pigmentColour named from nature 路 馃嚜馃嚫 Spain +5 Brown Terracotta A clay-based material and colour, known for its reddish-brown toneColour named from nature 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +4 Blue Azurite A deep blue copper mineral once prized as a pigment and gemstonePigment 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +5 White Zinc oxide A white inorganic powder used in pigments, ointments, ceramics and electronicsPigment 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +2 Brown Aniline A colourless oil that darkens with air and launched the first synthetic dyesPigment 路 馃嚛馃嚜 Germany #CC7722 Ochre A natural earth pigment ranging from yellow to deep orange or brownPigment 路 馃嚘馃嚭 Australia +5 Blue Indigo A deep blue dye from plants, now mostly made synthetically and known for colouring denimDye 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +5 Yellow Orpiment A golden-yellow mineral pigment once prized for its brilliant colour and rarityPigment 路 馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt +5 Blue Methylene blue A synthetic blue dye and medicine first made in 1876Dye #003153 Prussian blue A deep blue pigment first made in Berlin in the early 1700sPigment 路 馃嚡馃嚨 Japan #120A8F Ultramarine A deep blue pigment once made from lapis lazuli, prized for centuries in artPigment 路 馃嚘馃嚝 Afghanistan +2 Red Realgar An orange-red arsenic sulfide mineral once used as a pigment and poisonPigment 路 馃嚚馃嚦 China +5 #E25822 Scarlet A bright red with a touch of orange, long tied to power, sacrifice and sinNamed shade 路 馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey +4 Red Carmine A deep red pigment made from cochineal insects, once prized across continentsPigment 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +2 #E34234 Vermilion A brilliant orange-red pigment, once made from toxic mercury orePigment 路 馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey +5 Black India ink A deep black ink made from carbon soot, used for writing, drawing and calligraphyPigment 路 馃嚚馃嚦 China +1 Yellow Tartrazine A synthetic lemon yellow dye widely used in food, cosmetics and medicinesDye #E32636 Alizarin A deep red dye first made from madder roots, later produced from coal tarDye 路 馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey +1 Black Carbon black A deep black pigment and filler made by burning carbon-rich materials with little airPigment #50C878 Paris Green A toxic emerald-green pigment once prized in art and used as an early insecticidePigment 路 馃嚛馃嚜 Germany +4 #704214 Sepia A reddish-brown colour named for the ink of the cuttlefishNamed shade Black Vantablack A super-black coating made from carbon nanotubes that absorbs nearly all visible lightPigment Purple and violet Crystal violet A synthetic purple dye used in science, medicine, and industryDye #0047AB Cobalt blue A strong, stable blue pigment made from cobalt and alumina since the early 1800sPigment 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +3 Green Malachite green A synthetic green dye once common for silk, now controversial in aquacultureDye 路 馃嚚馃嚦 China +3 Pink and magenta Basic fuchsine A magenta dye used in biology and textile staining since the 19th centuryPigment #43B3AE Verdigris A historic bluish-green pigment formed on copper and used in art since antiquityPigment 路 馃嚞馃嚪 Greece +1 #1034A6 Egyptian blue A vivid blue pigment first made in ancient Egypt from copper, lime, and sandPigment 路 馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt +5 Black Bone char A deep black pigment and filter made by charring animal bonesPigment #801818 Falu redfalu r枚df盲rg A deep red paint pigment from the Falun copper mine, used on wooden houses in SwedenPigment 路 馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden +2 #8A3324 Umber A natural brown pigment from earth, valued for its warmth and versatility in artPigment 路 馃嚚馃嚲 Cyprus +2 #3D2B1F Bistre A dark brown pigment and colour made from soot, once used in Old Master drawingsPigment #007BA7 Cerulean A blue-green colour once made from cobalt stannate and linked with the skyNamed shade 路 馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom #E97451 Sienna A reddish-brown earth pigment named after the city of Siena in ItalyPigment 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France Green Scheele's green A yellowish-green pigment once prized for its brilliance, now infamous for its toxicityPigment #E49B0F Gamboge A strong yellow pigment tapped from Southeast Asian treesPigment 路 馃嚢馃嚟 Cambodia +5 #40826D Viridian A blue-green pigment made from hydrated chromium oxide, valued in painting since the 1800sPigment #E3A857 Indian Yellow A clear, glowing orange-yellow pigment once made in India from cow urinePigment 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India #FADA5E Naples yellow A historic synthetic yellow pigment once prized by painters and pottersPigment 路 馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt +1 #FFA700 Chrome yellow A bright yellow pigment made from lead chromate, once popular in art and industryPigment #73C2FB Maya blueazul maya A vivid turquoise blue pigment made by the ancient Maya and AztecsPigment 路 馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico +1 #006B3C Cadmium pigments A family of strong yellow, orange, red and green pigments made from cadmium compoundsPigment Red Lac啶侧ぞ啶曕啶粪ぞ A red resin secreted by insects and used as dye, varnish and shellacColour named from nature 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +5 #0033CC International Klein Blue A deep blue made famous by Yves Klein's art and a special synthetic binderNamed shade 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France #824B27 Mummy brown A transparent brown pigment once made from ground Egyptian mummiesPigment 路 馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt
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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly palette

Every Monday: seven colours you may not know, what the world is wearing this week, and one idea about colour.