Realgar was named in 1747 from the Arabic word for "powder of the mine." It is an unstable mineral and will change to pararealgar, eventually disintegrating to a powder. This process takes time and is accelerated by exposure to light. Deterioration occurs very slowly, but the process begins immediately with only a little exposure. In old paintings and manuscripts, realgar was a common pigment for paints and dyes. Some ancient Chinese carvings of realgar are still in existence, but badly affected by the deterioration. Many of these paintings now have a yellow or orange hue where once the color must have been an original red. Realgar can be synthesized, and is a commonly used pigment even today.
Lab name:
Common molecules
Sample provider:
Obtained from the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database
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