Lapis Lazuli Paint
Lapis lazuli paint is a natural artist paint made from ultramarine pigment refined from the lapis lazuli stone. For centuries, it has been among the most valued materials in art, prized for its deep blue color, permanence, and rarity. Unlike modern synthetic blues, lapis lazuli paint carries both material complexity and historical significance, which is why it continues to be used today by professional artists, conservators, and painters working with traditional and contemporary methods.
At De Mairo, lapis lazuli paint is prepared using genuine stone sourced from the historic Sar-e-Sang mines of Badakhshan, Afghanistan. The pigment is refined with care and prepared into oil paint, gouache, watercolor, and pure pigment, preserving the natural character of ultramarine while making it suitable for modern artistic practice.
What Is Lapis Lazuli Paint?
Lapis lazuli paint refers to paint made using natural ultramarine pigment extracted from lapis lazuli stone. Unlike synthetic ultramarine, which is produced in laboratories, natural ultramarine contains complex mineral structures that give the paint greater depth, subtle variation, and a distinctive optical quality.
This pigment has been used for over a thousand years in panel painting, manuscript illumination, and fine art where durability and visual richness were essential.
How Lapis Lazuli Paint Is Made?
The process of making lapis lazuli paint is slow and labor-intensive, which is one of the reasons it remains rare and valuable. High-quality lapis lazuli stone is first selected and crushed. The blue mineral component, lazurite, is then separated from non-blue minerals such as calcite and pyrite using traditional refinement methods. This refined material becomes natural ultramarine pigment.
Once refined, the pigment is washed and graded before being prepared for use. Depending on the intended application, it may be bound into oil, gum-based mediums, or prepared as dry pigment for traditional paint making. Each step is designed to preserve the pigment’s natural brilliance, stability, and long-term performance.
Natural Ultramarine vs Synthetic Ultramarine
Synthetic ultramarine was developed in the nineteenth century as an affordable substitute for lapis lazuli. While it is widely used today, it does not replicate the full mineral complexity of natural ultramarine made from lapis lazuli stone. Paints made from genuine lapis lazuli often display greater depth, subtle internal variation, and a distinctive luminosity that synthetic pigments cannot fully reproduce.
Artists who choose lapis lazuli paint are often drawn to these visual qualities, as well as to the historical continuity and material authenticity that natural ultramarine represents.
Types of Lapis Lazuli Paint
Lapis Lazuli as a Mineral Paint
Lapis lazuli paint belongs to a broader tradition of mineral and gemstone paints, where color is derived directly from stone rather than synthetic chemistry. Mineral paints often have lower tinting strength than modern pigments, but they offer greater optical depth and a more organic interaction with light.
Artists drawn to mineral paints often value their tactile qualities, historical roots, and connection to natural materials.
Why Lapis Lazuli Paint Is So Valuable?
The value of lapis lazuli paint comes from several factors. The stone itself is rare and geographically limited, and the refinement process requires time, skill, and patience. Natural ultramarine has also proven its durability and lightfastness over centuries of use. Historically, lapis lazuli was reserved for sacred art, royal commissions, and the most important passages of a painting, a tradition that continues in its careful and intentional use today.
Is Lapis Lazuli Paint Still Used Today?
Lapis lazuli paint continues to be used by professional artists, conservators, and contemporary painters around the world. It remains especially valued in restoration work, historical painting techniques, and fine art practices that prioritize material authenticity and longevity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is lapis lazuli paint lightfast?
Is lapis lazuli paint lightfast?
Yes. Natural ultramarine pigment derived from lapis lazuli has excellent lightfastness and has demonstrated long-term stability in artworks that have survived for centuries.
Is lapis lazuli paint toxic?
Is lapis lazuli paint toxic?
No. Lapis lazuli pigment is non-toxic when properly refined. It does not contain heavy metals commonly associated with toxic pigments.
Can beginners use lapis lazuli paint?
Can beginners use lapis lazuli paint?
Yes. While historically used by master painters, modern lapis lazuli paints are stable and predictable. Beginners may find it especially rewarding for learning layered and controlled techniques.
Why is lapis lazuli paint more expensive than other blue paints?
Why is lapis lazuli paint more expensive than other blue paints?
The cost reflects the rarity of the stone, the labor-intensive refinement process, and the use of genuine natural ultramarine rather than synthetic alternatives.
Is natural ultramarine better than synthetic ultramarine?
Is natural ultramarine better than synthetic ultramarine?
Neither is universally better. Natural ultramarine offers depth, complexity, and historical authenticity, while synthetic ultramarine provides consistency and affordability.
What mediums work best with lapis lazuli pigment?
What mediums work best with lapis lazuli pigment?
Lapis lazuli pigment works well in oil, watercolor, gouache, and egg tempera techniques, depending on how it is prepared and bound.
How should lapis lazuli paint be stored?
How should lapis lazuli paint be stored?
Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Seal containers tightly to preserve consistency and longevity.
