Natural or synthetic? Simultaneous Raman/luminescence hyperspectral microimaging for the fast distinction of ultramarine pigments

Genuine ultramarine has been one of the most precious blue pigments employed since ancient times. It used to be obtained by crushing and grinding the lapis lazuli rock and selectively extracting the blue mineral lazurite. Since 1828, when it was produced the synthetic version, the use of this much less expensive material became widespread and synthetic ultramarine blue replaced the natural one in painting palettes. The distinction between natural and synthetic ultramarine is, therefore, an important goal in authentication issues. Here, we present a hyperspectral microRaman imaging analysis, complemented with the characterization of ultramarine pigment samples in terms of colour, elemental composition and identification of crystalline phases by means of fiber optics reflection spectroscopy (FORS), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. We show that a characteristic luminescence signature, easily detected in the course of standard Raman spectroscopic analysis using 785 nm as excitation, is indicative of the natural origin of the ultramarine blue pigments. Furthermore, simultaneous Raman/luminescence hyperspectral microimages allow the distinction between natural pigments of different quality thanks to the different intensity and spatial distribution of the lazurite characteristic band at 548 cm−1 and those of the luminescent impurities in the region between 1200 and 2000 cm−1. The establishment of a range of quality between different samples of lapis lazuli was also attempted taking into account the variations in the intensity of the Raman bands located at 548 cm−1 and 1286 cm−1. Finally, the feasibility of using the simultaneous Raman/luminescence features for authentication of ultramarine blue in a real historical context, even with non-invasive investigations, is illustrated with examples of different types of blue decorations from several halls of the Alhambra monumental ensemble, in Granada.