A brilliant deep blue color, like the heart of a sapphire or the deepest ocean under perfect sky. Originally a precious pigment more valuable than gold.
From Latin ultra (beyond) plus marinus (of the sea) — literally 'beyond the sea.' This precious blue pigment came from lapis lazuli mined in Afghanistan, traveling the Silk Road to reach European artists. So rare and costly that medieval painters reserved it for the Virgin Mary's robes, making blue the color of the divine.
This blue was once more precious than GOLD! Medieval artists would literally go bankrupt buying ultramarine, and they saved every speck for painting the Virgin Mary's robes — because only the most expensive blue was worthy of the Queen of Heaven. The name means 'beyond the sea' because this treasure had to travel impossible distances from Afghan mountains to European studios. Every time you see a Renaissance painting of Mary in brilliant blue, you're looking at a fortune in pigment!
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