Atacamite

Natural inorganic pigment

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Composition and Properties of Atacamite

Antlerite is a basic copper chloride with the chemical formula of Cu2Cl(OH)3.

Atacamite-crystals

Pigment

Atacamite-painted-swatch

Painted swatch

Names 

Alternative names

Wild patina, flour patina, bronze disease

Color Index

Word Origin

Named after the Atacama desert in Chile where it was first found and described.

Spain Flag

Atacamit

German

Spain Flag

Atacamite

French

Spain Flag

Atacamite

Italian

Spain Flag

Atacamita

Spanish

Preparation

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

Atacamite was also prepared synthetically by covering a copper plate with honey and sprinkling it with common salt (sodium chloride) (1).

References

(1) M. M. Naumova and S. A. Pisareva, A Note on the use of blue and green copper compounds in paintings, Studies in Conservation, Nov. 1994, Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 277-283. https://doi.org/10.1179/sic.1994.39.4.277

History of Use 

Atacamite has been used since antiquity. It has been found in illuminated manuscripts, sculptures, and oil paintings.

References

(1) Švarcová, S., Hradil, D., Hradilová, J. et al. Pigments—copper-based greens and blues. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 13, 190 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-021-01406-0

(2) M. M. Naumova and S. A. Pisareva, A Note on the use of blue and green copper compounds in paintings, Studies in Conservation, Nov. 1994, Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 277-283. https://doi.org/10.1179/sic.1994.39.4.277

(3) Anders G. Nord and Kate Tronner, The Frequent Occurrence of Atacamite in Medieval Swedish Murals, STUDIES IN CONSERVATION, 2018, Vol. 63, No. 8, 477–481.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00393630.2018.1444966

(4) Tomasini, E.P., Landa, C.R., Siracusano, G. and Maier, M.S. (2013), Atacamite as a natural pigment in a South American colonial polychrome sculpture from the late XVI century. J. Raman Spectrosc., 44: 637-642. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.4234

(5) Richardin, P., Mazel, V., Walter, P. et al. Identification of Different Copper Green Pigments in Renaissance Paintings by Cluster-TOF-SIMS Imaging Analysis. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 22, 1729–1736 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13361-011-0171-3

Identification

Infrared Spectra

1. IR Spectrum of malachite in the ATR-FT-IR spectra of different pure inorganic pigments, University of Tartu, Estonia.

Raman Spectra

Atacamite a CAMEO Material Database

References

Andrea De Haro,Milagros Córdova, Carlos Rua Landa, Cristián Huck-Iriart, Gabriela Siracusano, Marta S. Maier andEugenia Tomasini, Methodologies for the Characterization and Identification of Natural Atacamite as a Pigment in Andean Colonial Painting, Heritage 2023, 6(7), 5116-5129. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6070272

Further Reading

References

(1) Švarcová, S., Hradil, D., Hradilová, J. et al. Pigments—copper-based greens and blues. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 13, 190 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-021-01406-0

(2) M. M. Naumova and S. A. Pisareva, A Note on the use of blue and green copper compounds in paintings, Studies in Conservation, Nov. 1994, Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 277-283. https://doi.org/10.1179/sic.1994.39.4.277

(3) Anders G. Nord and Kate Tronner, The Frequent Occurrence of Atacamite in Medieval Swedish Murals, STUDIES IN CONSERVATION, 2018, Vol. 63, No. 8, 477–481.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00393630.2018.1444966

(4) Tomasini, E.P., Landa, C.R., Siracusano, G. and Maier, M.S. (2013), Atacamite as a natural pigment in a South American colonial polychrome sculpture from the late XVI century. J. Raman Spectrosc., 44: 637-642. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.4234

(5) Richardin, P., Mazel, V., Walter, P. et al. Identification of Different Copper Green Pigments in Renaissance Paintings by Cluster-TOF-SIMS Imaging Analysis. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 22, 1729–1736 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13361-011-0171-3