How Orpiment is made:
| Source: | Orpiment (at Mineralogy Database) |
| Natural variety of pigment | Mineral orpiment is heated with sulfur, allowing a more pure orpiment to sublime out. Orpiment is particularly difïfcult to grind into a pigment. It naturally occurs widely, but in relatively small deposits. Principle Ancient sources seem to have been Asia Minor, Central Asia, Macedonia and Hungary. Natural deposits were mined, ground and washed in preparation. |
| Artificial variety of pigment | In modern times the artificial version can be made through a process of sublimation and precipitation. Fusing of arsenic or arsenic oxide with sulfur. |
| In the lab | |
| Method: | The preparation in the laboratory should not be attempted due to the great toxicity of orpiment. |
The ground pigment:
Pile of ground Orpiment: