Pinkcolor, PR 233

Pinkcolor delivers a distinctive dusky pink with surprising depth. Choose between the brighter or darker variant—each offers a warmer, more nuanced alternative to ultramarine red, with a beautifully broken tone that adds character to watercolor work.

• Chemical description: Ca(Sn,Cr)SiO5
• Chemical Formula: Ca(Sn,Cr) Si05
• Lightfastness - thinned: 8 (1 is bad, 8 is best)
• Lightfastness - medium: 8 (1 is bad, 8 is best)
• Lightfastness - concentrated: 8 (1 is bad, 8 is best)
• ColorIndex: PR 233.77301
• Suitability: Acrylics, Ceramic, Oil, Tempera, Watercolor / Gouache

How it gets its color:
To make this pigment, chemists take calcium, tin, and silica, and introduce a tiny amount of chromium into the mix. When fired in a kiln at incredibly high temperatures, the ingredients melt and form a rigid crystal lattice. The chromium essentially gets "trapped" inside the tin-silicate structure. Because of the way the chromium atoms are squeezed into this specific crystal shape, they absorb and reflect light in a way that produces a brilliant, stable pink!

Because it is forged in such extreme heat, this synthetic inorganic is practically bulletproof. It is highly prized in ceramics, enamels, and heavy-duty paints because it won't fade or burn out, even when fired in a kiln or exposed to harsh weather.