Egyptian blue was a synthetic pigment used in Egypt, starting around the 3rd millennium BC, to imitate turquoise and lapis lazuli. Blue was an important color to the Egyptians and natural gemstones possessing a vivid blue color were very rare in the region. Necessity being the mother of invention, the Egyptians were driven to create the earliest known synthetic pigment. Staggering amounts of Egyptian blue were needed to make all the beads, seals, icons, decorative displays, and objects that were composed with the use of the color blue.

As best as we can reconstruct, Egyptian blue was composed of quartz sand, copper, calcium carbonate, cuprorivaite, and plant ash or natron. These were melted together, resulting in the creation of Egyptian blue. Ancient Egyptian blue has been identified by archaeologists through the use of red light to excite the cuprorivaite in the pigment. The recipe eventually fell out of use, and the process has been sought by many throughout the millennia. Recently, a team of scientists from Washington State University, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute joined forces to tackle the problem.