Orpiment | Arsenic, Sulfur, Pigment | Britannica (original) (raw)

orpiment, the transparent yellow mineral arsenic sulfide (As2S3), formed as a hot-springs deposit, an alteration product (especially from realgar), or as a low-temperature product in hydrothermal veins. It is found in Copalnic, Romania; Andreas-Berg, Ger.; Valais, Switz.; and Çölemerik, Tur. The crystals belong to the monoclinic system. For detailed physical properties, see sulfide mineral (table).

Ancient Middle Eastern artists used orpiment (from Latin auri, “golden”; pigmentum, “paint”) as a pigment, but it gained little attention from Western artists until the 18th century, when production of artificial arsenic trisulfide was begun. Because of its extreme toxicity, it was abandoned, except for a very fine grade called king’s yellow, which was used until cadmium yellow (principally cadmium sulfide) became available.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.