Minium

• ⁸⁷ Flint Glass Sheet

• None

Auction House Category: Materials > Alchemy
Can be obtained as a random reward from the Gobbie Mystery Box Special Dial and similar sources.

Minium, also called Red lead, lead tetroxide or triplumbic tetroxide, is a bright red or orange crystalline or amorphous pigment. Its Latin name minium originates from the Minius River in northwest Spain where it was first mined. Natural minium is uncommon, forming only in extreme oxidizing conditions of lead ore bodies. Lead tetroxide was used as a red pigment in ancient Rome, where it was prepared by calcination of lead white. In the ancient and medieval periods it was used as a pigment in the production of illuminated manuscripts, and gave its name to the minium or miniature, a style of picture painted with the color. As a finely divided powder, it was also sprinkled on dielectric surfaces to study Lichtenberg figures. It was first isolated as a pure compound by Arabic chemists and was clearly described by Muhammad ibn Zakarīya Rāzi in the early 10th century. Lead tetroxide is currently most often used as a pigment for undercoat paints for iron objects.