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.