Colours of ceramics and glass
Glazes, enamels, stained glass and porcelain.
#0000FF
Blue
A primary colour seen in the sky and sea, used since ancient times in art and dyeBasic colour
Yellow
Turmeric
A golden yellow dye and spice from the rhizome of a tropical plantColour named from nature · 🇮🇳 India +5
Blue
Lapis lazuli
A deep blue stone prized for jewellery and the source of ultramarine pigmentColour named from nature · 🇦🇫 Afghanistan +5
Red
Cinnabar
A scarlet to brick-red mineral and the main source of mercury and vermilion pigmentColour named from nature · 🇪🇸 Spain +5
Brown
Terracotta
A clay-based material and colour, known for its reddish-brown toneColour named from nature · 🇮🇳 India +4
Blue
Azurite
A deep blue copper mineral once prized as a pigment and gemstonePigment · 🇫🇷 France +5
White
Zinc oxide
A white inorganic powder used in pigments, ointments, ceramics and electronicsPigment · 🇮🇳 India +2
#CC7722
Ochre
A natural earth pigment ranging from yellow to deep orange or brownPigment · 🇦🇺 Australia +5
Yellow
Orpiment
A golden-yellow mineral pigment once prized for its brilliant colour and rarityPigment · 🇪🇬 Egypt +5
#120A8F
Ultramarine
A deep blue pigment once made from lapis lazuli, prized for centuries in artPigment · 🇦🇫 Afghanistan +2
#E34234
Vermilion
A brilliant orange-red pigment, once made from toxic mercury orePigment · 🇹🇷 Turkey +5
Black
Carbon black
A deep black pigment and filler made by burning carbon-rich materials with little airPigment
#0047AB
Cobalt blue
A strong, stable blue pigment made from cobalt and alumina since the early 1800sPigment · 🇫🇷 France +3
#43B3AE
Verdigris
A historic bluish-green pigment formed on copper and used in art since antiquityPigment · 🇬🇷 Greece +1
#1034A6
Egyptian blue
A vivid blue pigment first made in ancient Egypt from copper, lime, and sandPigment · 🇪🇬 Egypt +5
Green
Celadon青瓷
A jade-green ceramic glaze prized in East Asian pottery for centuriesNamed shade · 🇨🇳 China +4
#8A3324
Umber
A natural brown pigment from earth, valued for its warmth and versatility in artPigment · 🇨🇾 Cyprus +2
#FFFFF0
Ivory
A soft off-white shade with a hint of yellow, named after animal tusksNamed shade
#FADA5E
Naples yellow
A historic synthetic yellow pigment once prized by painters and pottersPigment · 🇪🇬 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 · 🇲🇽 Mexico +1
#006B3C
Cadmium pigments
A family of strong yellow, orange, red and green pigments made from cadmium compoundsPigment
Red
Lacलाक्षा
A red resin secreted by insects and used as dye, varnish and shellacColour named from nature · 🇮🇳 India +5
#4A0000
Oxblood
A deep, brownish red seen in ceramics, shoes and fashionNamed shade
#E32636
Rose madder
A traditional red pigment made from the roots of the madder plantPigment · 🇪🇬 Egypt +5
Red
Sang de boeuf glaze郎窑红
A deep red porcelain glaze first made in early 18th-century ChinaNamed shade · 🇨🇳 China +1
Blue
Han purple and Han blue
Ancient synthetic pigments of blue and purple, first made in early ChinaPigment · 🇨🇳 China
#FFFEEF
Titanium white
A bright white pigment made from titanium dioxide, valued for its strong coveragePigment · 🇺🇸 United States +1
White
Lead white
A dense, opaque white pigment once used in art, home, and cosmetics worldwidePigment · 🇨🇳 China +2
Grey
Hematite
A mineral iron oxide, black to red, used since prehistory as a pigment and oreColour named from nature · 🇿🇦 South Africa +5
Black
Ebony
A jet-black hardwood valued for its smooth finish and rarityColour named from nature · 🇪🇬 Egypt +5
White
Titanium dioxide
A brilliant white pigment made from titanium, used in paints, food and sunscreenPigment · 🇨🇳 China +5
#86A1A9
Tourmalineටෝරමල්ලි
A mineral group prized for its rainbow of gemstone coloursColour named from nature · 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka +5
Black
Onyx
A banded stone, usually black and white, prized for carving and jewelleryColour named from nature · 🇲🇽 Mexico +5
White
Barium sulfate
A dense, white mineral used in pigments, X-rays, and industryPigment
Brown
Goethite
A yellowish to reddish brown mineral used as a pigment since ancient timesPigment · 🇩🇪 Germany +3
Red
Iron(III) oxide
A deep red iron compound found in hematite and used as pigment and polishPigment
Black
Manganese dioxide
A black-brown mineral oxide used in batteries, pigments, and chemical reactionsPigment
White
Antimony trioxide
A white antimony compound used in flame retardants and glassmakingPigment · 🇨🇳 China +4
Green
Chromium(III) oxide
A strong green pigment and polishing compound made from chromium orePigment
Green
Glauconite
A soft green mineral used as a pigment and in fertilisersColour named from nature · 🇧🇷 Brazil +2
Red
Dragon's blood
A deep red resin from several plants, used as pigment, dye and varnish since ancient timesColour named from nature · 🇮🇳 India +3
#020D15
Gunmetal
A dark copper alloy once used for casting guns and now valued for its strength and finishNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States
White
Barium metaborate
A white or clear inorganic compound used in optics and as a pigmentPigment
Green
Cobalt green
A green pigment made by adding cobalt to other oxidesPigment
#0014A8
Zaffre
A deep blue pigment once made by roasting cobalt orePigment
Purple and violet
Purple of Cassius
A purple pigment made by reacting gold salts with tin(II) chloridePigment
#00CCCC
Robin egg blue
A blue-green shade named for the eggs of the American robinNamed shade · 🇨🇳 China
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Sienna: DanielCD~commonswiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Umber: Gixie, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cadmium pigments: Marco Almbauer, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ivory: By Aaron Logan, CC BY 1.0, source
- Maya blue: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Oxblood: Anonymous (Chinese artist) Unknown author, CC0, source
- Robin egg blue: Laslovarga, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tourmaline: Aurelienreys, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lac: Jeffrey W. Lotz, CC BY 3.0, source
- Turmeric: J.M.Garg, CC BY 3.0, source
- Celadon: Vassil, Public domain, source
- Lead white: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Titanium white: Arthur Dove, Public domain, source
- Ebony: CaptMondo, CC BY 2.5, source
- Onyx: Simon Eugster -- Simon 14:41, 11 April 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Carbon black: FK1954, Public domain, source
- Titanium dioxide: The original uploader was Walkerma at English Wikipedia ., Public domain, source
- Manganese dioxide: Dxz2019, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Zinc oxide: Andrew Silver, USGS, Public domain, source
- Barium sulfate: de:Benutzer:the-viewer, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Orpiment: Ra'ike, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Glauconite: Licks-rocks, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chromium(III) oxide: Solid State, Public domain, source
- Cobalt green: Stephhzz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Barium metaborate: Totalirus, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dragon's blood: Andy Dingley, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Goethite: Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Iron(III) oxide: BXXXD, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Azurite: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sang de boeuf glaze: WAN233, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ultramarine: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Terracotta: anonymous, CC0, source
- Cinnabar: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lapis lazuli: Adam Ognisty, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vermilion: عُثمان, CC0, source
- Ochre: Marco Almbauer, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Naples yellow: Matthias Stom, Public domain, source
- Chrome yellow: FK1954, CC0, source
- Verdigris: No machine-readable author provided. Nartoun assumed (based on copyrig, Public domain, source
- Cobalt blue: FK1954, Public domain, source
- Egyptian blue: Bairuilong, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Blue: NOAA-JMA, CC BY 4.0, source