{"product_id":"egyptian-blue-pigment-430314052","title":"Egyptian Blue Pigment","description":"\u003cp\u003eDescription\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEgyptian Blue is a handmade single-pigment blue based on synthetic cuprorivaite, a copper calcium silicate (CaCuSi₄O₁₀) that recreates the famous pigment of ancient Egypt. It produces a rich, slightly turquoise-leaning mid-to-deep blue with a cool undertone and a luminous, mineral masstone. In washes it can range from soft, sky–turquoise veils to more saturated, Mediterranean blue passages; in masstone it becomes a deep, enamel-like blue with a subtle crystalline sparkle, especially on textured paper. Compared to modern synthetic blues, Egyptian Blue feels more stone-like and historic, with a gently granulating, fresco-adjacent character.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn use, Egyptian Blue gives a versatile, atmospheric blue ideal for skies, water, architectural studies, pottery and artifact painting, historical illustration, and any work that draws on ancient or archeological themes. It has moderate tinting strength and a semi-opaque to semi-transparent character depending on concentration and grind, allowing it to cover confidently in masstone while still building beautiful layered veils in thin applications. It mixes well with yellows for a range of Mediterranean greens, with earths for weathered blue-greys and patina-like tones, and with reds and violets for muted violets and dusky shadow blues that retain a distinctly mineral quality. In artist’s colors it offers a unique bridge between modern palettes and the world of wall paintings, statues, and faience from thousands of years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis cuprorivaite-based pigment is chemically stable, heat-resistant, and highly lightfast, with a long archaeological record of survival on walls, statues, and objects. Its crystalline structure also gives it interesting infrared luminescent properties under certain conditions, a feature that has helped researchers identify Egyptian Blue on ancient artifacts and that quietly underscores its special status among historical pigments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eHistory\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEgyptian Blue is widely regarded as the first synthetic pigment in history, developed in ancient Egypt over 3,000 years ago. Craftspeople produced it by heating a carefully controlled mixture of silica, copper compounds, lime, and alkali into a blue, glassy frit, which was then ground to make a pigment for wall paintings, sculpture, architectural decoration, and inlays. Its characteristic turquoise–blue can be seen on tomb paintings, temple reliefs, and artifacts from the Nile Valley and throughout the Mediterranean trade network, including Greek and Roman sites.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eInterest in Egyptian Blue declined with the rise of later blue materials and was largely forgotten as a manufacturing craft, though its presence persisted on ancient works. In the 19th and 20th centuries, chemists and archaeologists identified the pigment’s structure as cuprorivaite and reconstructed methods for its production. Recent research has highlighted not only its historical importance but also its unusual infrared luminescence, which has applications in imaging and materials science. Modern recreations of Egyptian Blue allow artists to work with a pigment that is at once deeply ancient and surprisingly contemporary, linking present-day painting directly to the walls of tombs and temples along the Nile.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003ePigment Information\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePigment Type: Synthetic (Inorganic) copper calcium silicate (cuprorivaite)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: Rrecreated ancient cuprorivaite pigment\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSuitable Mediums: Watercolor, Gouache, Tempera, Acrylic, Oil, Casein\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLightfastness: Best\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOpacity: Semi-opaque to semi-transparent\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOther Names: Egyptian Blue, Cuprorivaite, Calcium Copper Silicate Blue, PB31 Egyptian Blue\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eColor Index Code: PB31\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eImage 1: Stela of Saiah from the MET\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eImage 2: Triumph of Galatea by Raphael from the Villa Farnesina\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Morrow Archival","offers":[{"title":"2 Grams","offer_id":48277311750366,"sku":"PS-685-0000-0002g","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10 Grams","offer_id":48277311783134,"sku":"PS-685-0000-0010g","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20 Grams","offer_id":48277311815902,"sku":"PS-685-0000-0020g","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0739\/2821\/2702\/files\/42c8f144-42e0-48b1-aad2-b82073d710db-copy.jpg?v=1779485210","url":"https:\/\/morrowarchival.com\/products\/egyptian-blue-pigment-430314052","provider":"Morrow Archival","version":"1.0","type":"link"}