Brown Alabaster

Description

Brown Alabaster is a soft, natural mineral pigment produced by finely grinding varieties of the stone alabaster, a crystalline form of gypsum often veined or tinted with iron oxides and other mineral inclusions. This creates a pigment in warm brown to reddish-brown shades with subtle variations and depth.

The resulting powder is smooth, semi-opaque, and produces earthy, subdued tones perfect for naturalistic palettes. It can be used in fresco, oil, tempera, watercolor, and mixed-media, lending a soft glow due to alabaster’s crystalline structure.

History

Alabaster has been prized since antiquity as both a decorative stone and pigment source. Ancient Egyptians carved alabaster into vessels and ground it into powders for wall painting and ritual use. In Mesopotamia and Rome, the stone was used for sculpture, plaster, and architectural decoration.

The brown varieties, tinged with iron-rich inclusions, were occasionally prepared as pigments to produce warm, earthy tones. In fresco and manuscript work, alabaster-based pigments provided soft, semi-transparent browns and were sometimes mixed with stronger ochres or umbers for depth.

Though less common than ochres, Brown Alabaster pigments have an important place in historical craft traditions, especially where stone-working and painting intersected.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Natural Mineral Pigment (gypsum with iron oxide inclusions)

Chemical Composition: CaSO₄·2H₂O with Fe₂O₃ traces

Suitable Mediums: Fresco, Tempera, Watercolor, Mixed Media (limited use in oils)

Lightfastness: Excellent

Opacity: Semi-Opaque

Other Names: Gypsum Brown, Alabaster Earth

Color Index Code: N/A (natural mineral)