1. brilliant blue pigments made from powdered lapis lazuli, historically very expensive and prized for painting
Usage: art; historical
2. synthetic blue pigments that imitate natural ultramarine
Usage: art; modern

Examples

• The Renaissance painter used expensive ultramarines for the Virgin Mary’s robes.
• Natural ultramarines were worth more than gold in medieval times.
• Modern artists can afford synthetic ultramarines for their blue pigments.
• The museum’s restoration required matching the original ultramarines exactly.
• She mixed ultramarines with white to create a lighter blue shade.
• The deep blue of the sky was painted with pure ultramarines.