[Rockhounds] Ink coloring minerals

[Al Balmer]

On Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:36:27 -1000, Kitty & Bill Heacox
<kahako at hawaiiantel.net> wrote:

>This isn't very profound, but the clay-rich soils of Hawaii make very 
>permanent dyes, as in Red Dirt Shirts
>   (  http://www.dirtshirt.com/  ).  I imagine red soil would exist 
>in other places, and anyone who has tried to launder such dirt stains 
>from clothing would attest to their effective permanence.  Should 
>work for ink as well for a rich reddish brown.

I can vouch for the clothing dye. I still have clothes that were
"dyed" years ago in the mines in Mt Ida.
>
>Aloha, Kitty
>
>At 10:15 AM 10/4/2007, Larry Rush wrote:
>>I have an artist friend who is experimenting with home-made inks. 
>>She asked me for mineral samples which she could grind up to provide 
>>the coloring agent for these inks. I know the Native Americans used 
>>Hematite and Limonite to make "ochres", but the other colors they 
>>used for clothing dyes seem all to be organic and plant based. I 
>>have also heard of some minerals used for facial decor, such as 
>>eye-shadowing and rouge in the Middle Ages. But I couldn't come up 
>>with any soluble minerals that could color inks.
>>
>>Any suggestions?
>>
>>Thanks....Larry Rush

-- 
Al Balmer
Sun City, AZ