The pigment RED

Have you ever wondered how we get the lovely color red?

Well I know I have never personally thought about it, but I came across how they found traces of red pigments on dead bodies from as late as the Paleolithic period. Red symbolized the meaning of life or its ending. I found this very interesting yet it makes sense. I mean blood is red and I guess that's how it explains it self. Another thing I learned was how they got the red pigment from the mineral hematite. At first I didn't know what hematite was but after a little research I found out that it is Iron [III] Oxide. When crushed in the powder form it looks a blood red color and that’s how they would use it.

The Mineral Hematite. Amethyst Galleries. 18 February 2008. <http://www.galleries.com/minerals/oxides/hematite/hematite.htm>