| Gypsum | Cerussite | Stibnite | Galena | Graphite | Cinnabar | Hematite | Malachite | Azurite | Orpiment |
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  Limonite | The cave paintings of Lascaux and elsewhere are impressive for their artistry, but prehistoric humans needed paint to make them. The red in the paintings comes from Red Ochre (Hematite). People have not only decorated caves, but their own bodies, with body paint. They used Red Ochre and Yellow Ochre (Limonite), and charcoal from their fires. |
  Turquoise | The Egyptian also used minerals in their cosmetics. They used red ochre on their lips, and elaborate eye-makeup or Kohl. This included black pigments such as Stibnite, and colourful ones as well, Malachite, Azurite and even Turquoise. The Egyptians used pigments for paint as well. In Tutankhamun's tomb, among all the rich and beautiful objects was found a small paintbox, perhaps his own from childhood. It contained powdered Gypsum, Orpiment, Hematite and Malachite. |
| Vermilion, made from Cinnabar was used to paint the face of Jupiter's statue in Rome red, for sacred purposes. It was also used for Imperial writing in China. |
| Lapis Lazuli has always been highly prized for its vivid blue. It was called ultra-marine. It was used by medieval artists for the Virgin Mary's blue cloak. It was very expensive, as then it only came from Afghanistan. |
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 Dioptase | The Russians used Dioptase, which is brilliant green, in their religious icons, since the mineral was found in Siberia. |
| Various minerals were used for cosmetics. Elizabth the First of England used Cerussite or white lead, which is poisonous and disfigures the skin! |
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Throughout history (and before!) people have used much the same minerals again and again for colours, both for paint and cosmetics. Hematite (Red Ochre) seems to be the most popular. It was used in prehistoric cave paintings, for body paint, for cosmetics, for painting at all times, and it is even used in modern lipstick. This is possibly because it is a good colour, it is common, it is easy to grind up, and it isn't poisonous.
If you want to experiment making your own pigment, I would suggest that you try Hematite. You will have to find a piece of red Hematite. Use a pestle and mortar and grind a small piece to a fine powder. Then you need to mix it with a liquid. Water is not much good, as it is not sticky, and it takes a long time to dry. If you mix it with egg yolk, you will have Egg Tempera, used in medieval times, and surprisingly effective! Please be careful of using other minerals as pigments. Some of them are poisonous! |
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