Antlerite

Natural inorganic pigment

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Composition and Properties of Antlerite

Antlerite is a basic copper sulfate with the chemical formula of Cu3[(SO4)(OH)4].

antlerite-crystals

Pigment

antlerite-painted-swatch

Painted swatch

Names 

Alternative names

Color Index

Word Origin

Named after the Antler Mine, Mohave Co, Arizona.

Spain Flag

Antlerit

German

Spain Flag

Antlérite

French

Spain Flag

Antlerite

Italian

Spain Flag

Antlerita

Spanish

Preparation

The pigment can be prepared from the mineral antlerite by grounding, washing and levigating the raw material.

History of Use 

Antlerite was used in ancient Egypt and European oil painting from the medieval period onwards, and more frequently in the 19th century.

References

Tomasini, E.P., Cárcamo, J., Castellanos Rodríguez, D.M. et al. Characterization of pigments and binders in a mural painting from the Andean church of San Andrés de Pachama (northernmost of Chile)Herit Sci 6, 61 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-018-0226-x

Eugenia Tomasini, Ilaria Costantini, Valeria Careaga, Carlos Rua Landa, Kepa Castro, Juan Manuel Madariaga, Marta Maier, Gabriela Siracusano, Identification of pigments and binders of a 17th-century mural painting (Bolivia). New report on pigments associated with Andean minerals, Journal of Cultural Heritage, Vol 62, July–August 2023, Pages 206-216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2023.05.030

Identification

Infrared and Raman Spectra

Antlerite at Cameo Website

References

Candida Moffa, Camilla Merola, Fernando Jr. Piamonte Magboo, Enrica Chiadroni, Lucia Giuliani, Alessandro Curcio, Luigi Palumbo, Anna Candida Felici, Massimo Petrarca, Pigments, minerals, and copper-corrosion products: Terahertz continuous wave (THz-CW) spectroscopic characterization of antlerite and atacamite, Journal of Cultural Heritage
Volume 66, March–April 2024, Pages 483-490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2023.12.018

Further Reading

References

Tomasini, E.P., Cárcamo, J., Castellanos Rodríguez, D.M. et al. Characterization of pigments and binders in a mural painting from the Andean church of San Andrés de Pachama (northernmost of Chile)Herit Sci 6, 61 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-018-0226-x

Eugenia Tomasini, Ilaria Costantini, Valeria Careaga, Carlos Rua Landa, Kepa Castro, Juan Manuel Madariaga, Marta Maier, Gabriela Siracusano, Identification of pigments and binders of a 17th-century mural painting (Bolivia). New report on pigments associated with Andean minerals, Journal of Cultural Heritage, Vol 62, July–August 2023, Pages 206-216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2023.05.030

Candida Moffa, Camilla Merola, Fernando Jr. Piamonte Magboo, Enrica Chiadroni, Lucia Giuliani, Alessandro Curcio, Luigi Palumbo, Anna Candida Felici, Massimo Petrarca, Pigments, minerals, and copper-corrosion products: Terahertz continuous wave (THz-CW) spectroscopic characterization of antlerite and atacamite, Journal of Cultural Heritage
Volume 66, March–April 2024, Pages 483-490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2023.12.018