The Rarest Pigment in the World | Colour the Spectrum of Science | BBC Science

Summary

In his London studio, artist and historian David Margulis explores the rarest minerals and pigments, with a focus on lapis lazuli, a deep blue pigment from Afghanistan. Once more precious than gold, lapis lazuli was used in Renaissance Italy as a status symbol, often adorning the robes of Mary in paintings. Margulis demonstrates the transformation of the rock into pigment, revealing the sulfur's role in creating ultramarine blue, a color that mirrors the sky and requires the immense pressures and temperatures of planet formation.

Takeaways

• 🎨 David Margulis is an artist and historian with a passion for the color blue, particularly lapis lazuli.
• 🌏 Lapis lazuli is sourced from a single mountain in Afghanistan, making it rare and valuable.
• 💎 Historically, lapis lazuli was the most precious and expensive pigment, even more so than gold during the Renaissance in Italy.
• 🌌 The blue color of lapis lazuli is so striking that it was thought to resemble the sky fallen to earth.
• 🖼️ Lapis lazuli was used prominently in paintings, particularly for the robes of Mary, by artists like Titian.
• 🔮 The pigment has a mystical quality, which contributed to its use in religious and symbolic art.
• 🔨 To create the pigment, lapis lazuli is hammered into a fine powder, releasing its color for the first time.
• 💨 The process of grinding the rock produces a strong sulfur smell, which is a key component of the blue color.
• 🧪 The unique chemical composition of lapis lazuli, including sulfur combined with other elements, produces the deep blue ultramarine pigment.
• 🖌️ The final step in creating the pigment involves mixing the blue powder with oil and wax to form paint.
• 🌐 The formation of lapis lazuli's color is a result of geological processes involving high pressures and temperatures.

Q & A

Who is David Margulis?

David Margulis is an artist, historian, and devotee of the color blue who works with some of the rarest minerals and pigments on earth in his London studio.

What is the significance of lapis lazuli in the script?

Lapis lazuli is a rare blue pigment that holds a special place in the script due to its beauty and historical significance. It is noted for being the most precious and expensive pigment, originating from Afghanistan.

Why is lapis lazuli considered rare and valuable?

Lapis lazuli is considered rare and valuable because it is derived from a single mountain in Afghanistan, and blue pigments are uncommon in nature, making it a spectacular and desirable commodity.

How did the discovery of lapis lazuli impact Europe?

The discovery of lapis lazuli had a significant impact on Europe, especially during the Renaissance in Italy, where it was so expensive that it was valued equivalent to gold, serving as a status symbol.

What is the mystical quality attributed to lapis lazuli?

Lapis lazuli is attributed a mystical quality, often used in paintings to depict the robes of Mary, and is associated with a sense of entrancing beauty.

Which famous artist is known for using lapis lazuli?

Titian is probably the most famous artist to have used lapis lazuli for its unique blue color in his paintings.

What is the process of creating paint from lapis lazuli as described in the script?

The process involves hammering the rock until it becomes a fine blue powder, which is then mixed with oil and wax to create paint.

What element in lapis lazuli is responsible for its blue color?

Sulfur is the element responsible for the blue color in lapis lazuli. The unique combination of sulfur with other elements in the rock produces the deep rich blue known as ultramarine.

Why is the smell of sulfur mentioned in the script?

The smell of sulfur is mentioned because when the lapis lazuli rock is broken down, it releases a strong sulfur smell, indicating the presence of sulfur which is key to the rock's blue color.

How does the script describe the transformation of the lapis lazuli rock into paint?

The script describes the transformation as a process where the rock, which looks like it fell from the sky, is turned into a pigment and then mixed with oil and wax to become paint, symbolizing it becoming sky all over again.

What geological conditions are necessary for the creation of lapis lazuli's color?

The script suggests that the creation of lapis lazuli's color requires the extreme pressures and temperatures that are associated with the formation of planets.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 The Artistic and Historical Significance of Lapis Lazuli

David Margulis, an artist and historian in London, is captivated by the color blue and works with rare minerals and pigments, with a particular focus on lapis lazuli. This blue pigment, derived from a single mountain in Afghanistan, was historically the most precious and costly. Its rarity and striking color made it a symbol of status and wealth, especially during the Renaissance in Italy where it was as valuable as gold. Margulis explores the mystical quality of lapis lazuli, which was often used to paint the robes of Mary in religious art, with Titian being a notable practitioner. He also delves into the process of transforming the rock into paint, starting with physically breaking it down into a fine blue powder that releases a strong sulfur smell, indicative of the chemical composition that gives lapis lazuli its unique color. The final step involves mixing the blue powder with oil and wax to create paint, symbolizing a transformation from a rock that seems to have fallen from the sky to a color that recreates the sky itself.

Keywords

💡David Margulis

David Margulis is identified as an artist, historian, and a devotee of the color blue. He is central to the video's narrative as he works with rare minerals and pigments, particularly focusing on the color blue. His role is to provide insight into the historical and artistic significance of lapis lazuli and its pigment form, ultramarine.

💡Lapis Lazuli

Lapis lazuli is a rare mineral that is the primary focus of the video. It is noted for its striking blue color, derived from the presence of sulfur. The script describes how this mineral was found in the mountains of Afghanistan and was considered extremely precious, being used as a pigment for creating the color ultramarine.

💡Ultramarine

Ultramarine is a deep blue pigment derived from lapis lazuli. It is highlighted in the script as one of the most expensive pigments historically, being equivalent to the price of gold during the Renaissance in Italy. The pigment was used prominently in paintings, particularly for the robes of Mary, as depicted by artists like Titian.

💡Sulfur

Sulfur is a chemical element that plays a crucial role in giving lapis lazuli its blue color. The script explains that the unique combination of sulfur with other elements in lapis lazuli produces the rich blue color known as ultramarine. This is an important aspect of the video, as it delves into the chemistry behind the pigment's creation.

💡Pigment

A pigment is a substance that gives color to another substance, such as paint. In the context of the video, the pigment is derived from lapis lazuli and is used by artists to create the color ultramarine. The script describes the process of transforming the mineral into a usable pigment, which involves hammering the rock into a fine blue powder.

💡Trade Routes

Trade routes are pathways for the exchange of goods between different regions. The script mentions how the opening of trade routes from the east allowed lapis lazuli to be transported to Europe, where it was highly valued. This highlights the historical significance of trade in the dissemination of this prized pigment.

💡Renaissance Italy

Renaissance Italy is a period and place noted for its cultural and artistic achievements. The script refers to this era to emphasize the value placed on ultramarine pigment, which was so costly that it was considered a status symbol. This context provides a historical backdrop for the use of lapis lazuli in art.

💡Titian

Titian is a renowned artist from the Renaissance period, famous for his use of ultramarine pigment. The script mentions him as a prime example of an artist who used lapis lazuli to paint the robes of Mary, adding to the prestige associated with the pigment. His work exemplifies the artistic use of ultramarine.

💡Status Symbol

A status symbol is an object or display that represents one's social status or wealth. The script explains that owning and using ultramarine pigment was a status symbol in Renaissance Italy due to its high cost. This concept is integral to understanding the cultural value placed on the pigment at the time.

💡Transformation

Transformation in the script refers to the process of turning raw lapis lazuli into a pigment. It involves physical changes, such as hammering the rock and chemical changes, where the rock's composition is altered to produce the pigment. This concept is central to the video's exploration of the creation of ultramarine from lapis lazuli.

💡Chemistry

Chemistry is the scientific study of the composition, structure, and properties of substances. The script delves into the chemistry of lapis lazuli to explain how the presence of sulfur and other elements creates the pigment's color. Understanding the chemistry behind ultramarine is key to appreciating the rarity and value of the pigment.

Highlights

David Margulis is an artist, historian, and devotee of the color blue.

He works with some of the rarest minerals and pigments on earth, especially the blues.

Lapis lazuli is the most spectacular blue pigment, originating from a mountain in Afghanistan.

Lapis lazuli was the most precious and expensive pigment historically.

The rarity of blue in nature made lapis lazuli a spectacular find.

The idea that lapis lazuli might have been thought of as the sky fallen to earth is enchanting.

Lapis lazuli's impact on Europe was significant when trade routes from the east opened up.

In Renaissance Italy, lapis lazuli was as expensive as gold, a status symbol.

Lapis lazuli was visibly displayed in paintings to showcase wealth and status.

Lapis lazuli has a mystical quality, often used in paintings of the Virgin Mary's robes.

Titian is a famous artist known for using lapis lazuli in his paintings.

The process of transforming lapis lazuli into paint involves hammering the rock into powder.

Sulfur is what gives lapis lazuli its blue color, with a strong smell during the grinding process.

The unique combination of sulfur with other elements in lapis lazuli produces ultramarine blue.

The final step in creating paint from lapis lazuli involves mixing the blue powder with oil and wax.

The color of lapis lazuli is a result of the chemistry within the rock's atoms.

The transformation of the rock into its vibrant blue requires pressures and temperatures akin to planetary formation.

Transcripts

I'm about to enter a

very different world.

David Margulis is an artist, historian

and devotee of the color blue

in his London studio,

he works

with some of the rarest minerals

and pigments on earth.

Among them all

the most spectacular are the blues.

And one blue in particular takes

pride of place on the shelves.

This is a piece of lapis

lazuli that's come from the one mountain

in Afghanistan.

So the important thing here

is this blue color,

and that is lapis lazuli.

It is.

It was the most precious

and most expensive of all the pigments.

There aren't many blue things in nature,

so this must have been

a spectacular thing to display

and to find.

Someone

had walked through the mountains

of Afghanistan

and come across Blue stone,

and it makes me wonder

whether they believed

the sky had fallen to

the earth and turned to the rock.

I love the idea.

The sky had fallen into a rock.

That's exactly what it looks

like, isn't it?

The color is so stunning.

I can imagine the impact

it must have made

when Lapis first arrived in Europe.

When trade routes from

the east opened up.

It was seen as extremely valuable.

In Renaissance Italy,

it was so expensive,

it was the equivalent

of the price of gold.

To have this was a status symbol,

and the most visible way of having

it was to put it on a painting,

because you could

paint this color onto a big canvas

and show that you had this commodity.

So it's not a subtle way

of displaying your status.

Saying for everyone to see.

Nothing such as sutile at all.

I think the most important aspect is

that Lapis does have

a slightly mystical quality.

So when it came to painting, quite often

the blue was used

to paint the robes of Mary,

probably the most

famous artist to have used it is Titian.

The something entrancing

about this color.

But to discover

what it can tell us about our planet,

I need to do what painters do

and get right inside this rock.

An artist is presented

with a lump of this rock,

and they have to make paint out of it.

What do they do?

They hammer it.

However sophisticated.

Hammer it until it gets

smaller and smaller.

It was quite satisfying

this.

This is the first time it's been a color

because this has never

seen daylight before.

But the rock I've just smashed

is just become a color

for the first time.

So the next one along.

So now we've got lots of broken up

little bits

and you can start to see

some blue powder.

That's right.

And that's what the pigments is.

It's the powder when it becomes a powder.

It's it's

such a horrible noise.

You might smell it as well.

Oh, there's a really strong smell of sulfur.

It is sulfur.

Sulfur is what makes the rock blue.

And then the final stage when it's broken

down is

is what we've got in the last one year.

This is the blue.

This thing I've ever seen.

It's the chemistry of this rock

that creates its color.

Sulfur more often produces

yellowish compounds.

This is lovely, lovely stuff.

But in lapis lazuli,

the unique combination

of sulfur

with other elements

produces this deep rich blue

we call ultramarine.

This is it.

This is the final step.

The blue powder has been mixed with oil

and some wax. It's a paint.

And so this rock that looks like it

fell from

the sky is becoming sky all over again.

When we

look at this, we just see a blue rock.

But the secret to that color,

it's hidden in the atoms

that make this up.

But the atoms themselves aren't enough.

To get this, you need to transform them.

For a transformation

to this dramatic blue,

you need the sorts of pressures

and temperatures

with which planets are forged.