Vivianite

Composed of ground mineral Vivianite, the color is a deep greyish-blue; and semi-opaque with a slight texture when painting. Vivianite is a soft blue mineral pigment composed of ferrous phosphate and is not lightfast—it will actually darken over time and eventually turn black when exposed to light. Fresh Vivianite mineral crystals are colorless but oxidizes easily when exposed to light which develops into a deep blue.

Vivianite can be found inside fossil shells, like ancient mollusks, or on fossil bone. In Medieval Europe, Vivianite was a less expensive alternative to Lapis Lazuli and in later centuries, artists like Johannes Vermeer used Vivianite in their paintings.

All of our watercolors are non-toxic and handmade in our shop using the highest quality earth and synthetic pigments and natural watercolor binding medium made from gum arabic (sap from acacia trees), honey, glycerine and distilled water.

Color Index number not provided by vendor.