What Color Is Vermilion? About Vermilion Color

Are you curious about what color is vermilion? Stick around as we share details about this vibrant color.

Vermilion has a rich history. From ancient Roman and Chinese times until today, this hue has carried significance across many sectors and industries. But, this is most evident in the field of art.

With its presence in different cultures and traditions for centuries, vermilion holds an unparalleled presence.

Let’s get to know more about this hue and what this color means. Read on.

History Behind the Use of Vermilion

Vermilion is also known as cinnabar. Cinnabar is a type of highly toxic mineral naturally occurring in nature.

In fact, you find it in the crusts or veins of hot springs and locations with volcanic activity.

This mineral refers to the most common type of oxidized mercury, otherwise known as mercury sulfide HgS. In its form, this mineral has a red crystalline hue.

While these two terms were interchangeable until the 17th century, cinnabar now refers to the crystal and mineral itself.

Meanwhile, vermilion is used to denote the color that comes from cinnabar.

Hindu culture prominently uses vermilion as a cosmetic look, mainly for women to decorate and accentuate their hair. It is usually used to show that a Hindu woman is married.

Apart from the aforementioned, vermilion also appears in art and decorations used by the Ancient Romans.

Later on, it appeared in the illuminated manuscripts in the Middle Ages, as well as European paintings during the Renaissance.

Similarly, China also used vermilion and incorporated it into their art and lacquerware.

What Color Is Vermilion?

While vermilion usually takes on a brilliant and vibrant red, cinnabar can actually produce different shades within the spectrum.

This means that vermilion can also take on an orangish-red color that is equally ruddy and brilliant at the same time.

Just think of vermilion as a saturated and bold red tinged with a vivid orange. This is perhaps one of the best ways to describe this hue.

Vermilion was actually the primary type of red color used in art in Europe from the Renaissance until the 20th century.

In fact, it was the most widely used red pigment in the world until cadmium red’s discovery in the early 20th century.

Like most mercuries, cinnabar is high in toxicity. As such, vermilion is now made from a synthetic mercuric sulfide, most of which is produced in China.

Vermilion has a hex code of #E34234 and a corresponding hue, saturation, and value (HSV) level of 5 degrees, 77%, and 89% respectively.

On the RGB color scale, this color has 227 red, 66 green, and 52 blue in it.

Meaning of the Color Vermilion

Many different cultures have used vermilion. Together with cinnabar, the color has appeared in a variety of activities, such as traditions and rituals observed by people.

In the past, the Romans used vermilion for their triumphal processions.

To pay tribute to their win and the guidance of the gods throughout their endeavors, soldiers, generals, and other Triumphators painted their faces vermilion to resemble the god of war, Mars, or Jupiter, the king of the gods.

Besides this, vermilion was also painted on skulls and bones in China, Anatolia, Spain, and many other countries, mainly as part of burial rituals in Neolithic cultures.

Taoists in China also regarded the color vermilion as a symbol of life and eternity.

Because of this notion, vermilion pigment was used to make potions to heal and lengthen the lives of people. But it ended up doing the exact opposite, as it was highly toxic and dangerous.

From the use of this color, it stands that vermilion symbolized not only the color of war but also bloodshed, victory, and success.

At the same time, this color also denotes the existence and duality of life and death.

In many ways, because vermilion was so prized and was equivalent to its weight in gold, vermilion can also denote wealth and luxury.

Final Thoughts

Vermilion is, in fact, still very much alive today. While this color seems rooted in the past and tradition, vermilion undoubtedly makes its way through modern times.

From cars sporting this hue to home décor and even cosmetics, you know it is definitely here to stay.