Description
The colour name derives from the violet flower. Violet and purple look similar but are in fact very different. Mollusc-extracted purple is a blend of red and blue whereas violet is the colour of amethyst, and more blue than purple. The Emperors of Rome and Byzantium wore purple togas whereas violet is worn by bishops and professors. Surprisingly, violet is one of the earliest colours and, produced by grinding the mineral manganese, has been found in the prehistoric cave paintings in Pech Merle and Lascaux. Our violet is produced using the 19th century ultramarine violet pigment.