ultramarine, pigment in the gem lapis lazuli, used by painters as early as the European Middle Ages. Ore containing the colour was ground, and the powdered lapis lazuli was separated from the other mineral matter. The pigment was first produced artificially in the late 1820s in France and Germany, being made from about equal amounts of china clay, sulfur, and sodium carbonate, with lesser amounts of silica and rosin or pitch. The mixture is fired slowly to 750 °C (1,380 °F) and cooled in a sealed furnace. Depending on the proportion of the ingredients, the shade varies from greenish to reddish blue.
Ultramarine is used in paints, lacquers, and decorating materials. It has a particularly brilliant blue colour and is very lightfast, but it is not suitable for use outdoors because it weathers to a dull-blue powder.