When it comes to color rarity, there are a few key factors that determine how uncommon a particular shade is. The rarest colors tend to be those that are difficult to produce, hard to obtain, or not widely used. In this article, we’ll explore what makes a color rare and look at some examples of truly unique hues. From naturally occurring pigments to synthetic dyes, we’ll cover the science, history, and art behind some of the world’s rarest colors. Read on to learn more about these elusive shades and what gives them their mystique.
What Makes a Color Rare?
There are a few key criteria that make a color rare:
- Difficulty obtaining the pigment or dye to produce the color
- Small quantities available in nature
- Complex manufacturing process
- High cost to produce
- Limited use historically
- Need for special storage or display conditions
Colors derived from scarce natural resources tend to be some of the rarest. Mineral pigments that are challenging to extract or only found in small deposits often produce uncommon colors. Organic pigments from rare plants or animals also yield unique hues that can be difficult to replicate.
Synthetic pigments and dyes that require complex chemistry or expensive ingredients to manufacture in large quantities are also less common. Specialized production methods, safety precautions, and handling requirements can restrict their availability.
Colors with very limited use in art, design, or decoration tend to remain obscure. However, revived interest in a color and new production methods can sometimes increase its prevalence.
Rare Natural Pigments
Some of the rarest colors come from remote corners of the natural world. Here are a few naturally derived pigments known for their scarcity:
Indian Yellow
This vivid yellow pigment was once produced in India from the urine of cattle fed only mango leaves and water. The limited diet yielded urine with a high concentration of the colorant indican. Producing Indian yellow involved collecting the urine and heating it to obtain a paste that was then dried into the pigment. However, the labor-intensive production process and concerns over animal cruelty led to Indian yellow being outlawed in 1908. Existing stores of the pigment are very rare.
Dragon’s Blood
Dragon’s blood refers not to the blood of mythical creatures, but to a deep red resin obtained from different rattan palm species. The most prized variety comes from the rattan Daemonorops draco found in Indonesia and Malaysia. Extracting the resin is labor intensive as it requires cutting the stem and collecting the sap as it flows out. Due to deforestation, the Daemonorops draco species is now endangered which makes authentic dragon’s blood resin extremely rare.
Mummy Brown
This rich brown pigment had a macabre source – the ground-up remains of Egyptian mummies. First made from human remains obtained from ancient tombs in the 16th century, it later contained embalmed cats, dogs, and other animals. Due to obvious ethical concerns, the production of Mummy Brown pigment stopped in the 1960s. Existing supplies of the historical pigment are very rare.
Maya Blue
This tropical blue pigment from the pre-Columbian Maya civilization has defied recreation by modern chemists. Made from a mixture of indigo plant dye and palygorskite clay, the molecular structure of Maya blue allows it to resist fading even after centuries of exposure. The precise methods used by the Maya remain unknown, making this brilliant blue a unique relic of the ancient Mesoamerican culture.
Rare Synthetic Pigments
While most common colors have artificial analogs, some synthetic pigments remain elusive due to difficulty manufacturing them or lack of commercial demand. Here are some examples of rare colors from the chemist’s lab:
YInMn Blue
Discovered in 2009, this vivid blue pigment is made from yttrium, indium, and manganese oxides. It was the first new blue inorganic pigment discovered in over 200 years. YInMn blue is non-toxic but requires an elaborate manufacturing process, making it costly. Commercial demand for the color is still low, restricting availability of this brilliant blue.
Vantablack
Developed in the 2010s, Vantablack is an ultra-black pigment that absorbs up to 99.965% of visible light. Made of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays, it was originally designed for aerospace applications. Due to the complex process for growing the nanotube forests, Vantablack is exclusively produced by the defense company Surrey NanoSystems for select industries. It remains unavailable as an artistic pigment.
Han Purple
This early synthetic purple pigment from ancient China was a barium copper silicate compound first manufactured around 700-800 CE. Producing Han purple required advanced materials science for the time, including vaporization and ion-exchange chemistry. The complex porcelain synthesis technique was lost by the 11th century CE. Modern attempts to recreate it have not yielded stable pigment. Han purple glazed ceramics are the only known examples left.
| Pigment | Source |
|---|---|
| Indian Yellow | Cow urine |
| Dragon’s Blood | Rattan palm tree resin |
| Mummy Brown | Mummified human/animal remains |
| Maya Blue | Indigo and palygorskite clay |
| YInMn Blue | Yttrium, indium, manganese oxides |
| Vantablack | Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes |
| Han Purple | Barium copper silicate |
Rare Colors in Nature
While many common colors like red, green, and brown abound in the natural world, some shades rarely occur in plants or animals. Here are a few elusive hues found in exotic flora and fauna:
Shiny Blue Morpho Butterflies
These iridescent tropical butterflies are an iconic shade of blue in nature. However, their wings don’t contain blue pigment. Their radiant color comes from nanostructured scales that reflect blue light. Actual blue pigmentation is extremely rare in the insect world. These shimmering butterflies stand out and exemplify a rare natural color.
Red Hair and Blue Eyes in Humans
Natural red hair occurs in only 1-2% of the human population worldwide. Blue eyes are similarly uncommon, found in around 8% of people globally. Red hair combined with blue eyes is an especially rare phenotype found in less than 1% of humans. The genetics behind these recessive traits limits their expression.
White Peacocks
While most peafowl are resplendent shades of blue and green, the white peacock is an exceptionally rare genetic variant. Their all-white plumage results from leucism, a condition causing partial loss of pigmentation. White peafowl lack the colorful melanin that gives the species its usual brilliant hues. Only about 1 in every 10,000 peacocks is born with white plumage.
Yellow and Purple Carrots
Wild carrots are almost exclusively white rooted. Yellow, purple, red, and black carrots arise from rare mutant strains selectively bred by farmers over centuries. The yellow/purple anthocyanin pigments were prized for offering visual variety. But due to difficulty cultivating darker carrots, they remain far less common than the orange we know today.
| Rare Color in Nature | Where Found |
|---|---|
| Vivid blue | Morpho butterfly wings |
| Red hair and blue eyes | Small percentage of humans |
| White plumage | Leucistic peacocks |
| Yellow and purple | Rare carrot variants |
Rare Colors in Art and Design
While vibrant pigments like cadmium red and phthalo blue abound in paint aisles, some specialty colors have limited production and prohibitive costs. Rare, discontinued, and newly invented colors give artists unique palettes but can be challenging to obtain. Here are some pigments that offer rare creative possibilities:
International Klein Blue
This deep, matte blue was invented and patented by artist Yves Klein in the 1950s. Made from synthetic ultramarine pigment with a binding resin, IKB challenged conventions by using color as art itself. Klein’s limited supply controlled by his estate makes IKB hard to access, though syrupy homemade versions occasionally emerge.
Quinacridone Gold
A high-performance transparent yellow pigment patented in 2009, quinacridone gold has lightfastness and weather resistance ideal for outdoor murals. But its stellar properties come at a steep cost – with prices reaching $7,000 per kilo, quinacridone gold is one of the most expensive artists’ pigments. Limited production and low demand keeps it off most painters’ palettes.
Musarium
This rich purple pigment was discovered in 2009 by chemists at Oregon State University. Made by reacting aluminum with the element molybdenum in a specialized process, musarium was licensed exclusively to one small company. They produce it in limited quantities for Levenger art supplies under the name “Versluis purple.”
Vibrant Neon Colors
While neon pigments create vivid paints, truly intense neon color is only possible with gaseous neon lighting. Electrified, carefully sealed glass tubes of purified neon gas produce piercing color impossible to achieve with pigments alone. From neon signs to conceptual art, these glowing light sculptures create unnaturally vibrant color.
| Rare Color in Art | Where Found |
|---|---|
| International Klein Blue | Patented synthetic pigment |
| Quinacridone gold | Proprietary transparent yellow pigment |
| Musarium purple | Exclusive pigment from molybdenum |
| Pure neon lighting | Electrified and sealed neon gas tubes |
Rarest of the Rare
After surveying many uncommon colors, these three emerge as contenders for the title of “rarest color” due to their remote, one-of-a-kind origins:
Shiny Ooze
Discovered in 2009 by microbiologists, 578 is a strain of deep sea bacteria that lives near ocean-floor hydrothermal vents. When exposed to oxygen, it produces a bright yellow pigment for protection. Dubbed “Shiny ooze,” samples of this vivid yellow exist only in the lab that sequenced the bacteria’s DNA.
Stuart Semple’s Black 3.0
This super-black acrylic paint was developed by artist Stuart Semple in 2019 purely as the blackest artistic pigment on the market. Made of carbon nanotubes suspended in resin, it absorbs up to 99% of visible light. The limited-run paint’s extreme light-absorbing properties make it one of the rarest blacks available.
Chartreuse Fluorescent
In 2020, the Pantone Color Institute announced a new vivid yellow-green hue dubbed PANTONE 14-1064 TPX. Part of their fluorescent palette for fashion and graphic arts, this eye-searing “Chartreuse Fluorescent” can only be replicated with specialized inks or digital screens. The pervasive intensity of this rare neon makes it stand out.
Thanks to their remote origins and difficulty replicating them, these three ultra-rare colors may vie for the title of “rarest color.” From the deep sea, to the nanotech lab, to the color forecasters, these bright oddities show that novelty and complexity continue creating new shades seldom seen.
