/ vir • mill • eon / Vermilion	Jump to pigmentMadder lake (alizarine)AzuriteBone blackBrown ochreCarmineCadmium orangecadmium yellowCerulean BlueCalcium carbonate whitesCharcoalcobalt blueCobalt greencobalt violetCobalt yellowChrome orangechrome yellowcopper resinateEgyptian blueEmerald greenGreen earthIndian yellowIndigolead whiteLemon yellowmalachiteNaples yellowOrpimentlead tin yellowPrussian bluerealgarred leadRed ochresmalttitanium dioxideUltramarineUmbraVan Dyke brownverdigrisvermilionviridianYellow ochrezinc white

1.  Overview     2. History of use     3. Making the pigment     4. Technical details

How Vermilion is made:          Source: Mineral cinnabar (at Mineralogy Database) Natural variety of pigment The mineral was crushed and purified by washing and heating. Artificial variety of pigment Mercury is combined with molten sulfur in weight proportions of five to one, forming black amorphous HgS (a'-form), which is broken up and sublimated in earthenware pots, where its crystal structure reconfigures into red crystals (a-form).

The ground pigment:             Pile of ground Vermilion:

Other reds         (intro) - Madder lake (alizarine) - realgar - red lead - Red ochre - vermilion