Pyrite on Hematite

Prized since antiquity for its warm, golden luster and similar appearance to gold, Pyrite has earned its spot in many collectors’ displays. The mineral gets its name from the Greek, meaning “of fire,” for its ability to create sparks when struck against steel.

The world’s first red paint, Hematite, creates the red ochre color seen in Paleolithic cave paintings. Red ocher does not fade away like other pigments, allowing us to see the cave paintings as they were 40,000 years ago. Hematite’s name is derived from the Greek word haimatites, meaning “blood-like” due to its color.

Hematite’s use in art wasn’t restricted to prehistoric times- Michaelangelo used it for his studies for the Sistine Chapel and da Vinci utilized the red mineral for Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk. 15th and 16th century artists’ use of sanguine chalk pencils made of red ochre has led to modern artists to use red colored pencils in their sketches, similarly invoking the warm, traditional tone of the sanguine art created by Renaissance masters.