11 Rare and Interesting Colors That You Probably Never Knew Existed

How often do you think about the colors around you? Maybe this is a question reserved for April 20th? Yet, regardless of the day, colors play a special role in your life both on the conscious level and the subconscious.

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Think about it. The foods that you pick every day, the brands that you are drawn to, and clothing that you wear were all influenced by their colors.

Colors affect your life on an even deeper level. The right color can sway our thinking, change actions, and cause reactions. Certain colors may repulse you and make you feel sick, while other colors may cause a feeling of peace.

Color psychology, or the study of hues as a determinant of human behavior, is used to enhance our lives.

The color itself plays a vital role in the engineering and design of products that you use every day. So, you may know all of this but do you know how many colors you can see?

Seeing Colors

First and foremost, seeing color requires light. When the light comes into the eye, it travels to the retina bounces around and triggers certain nerves. This, in turn, sends a signal to your brain and your brain proceeds to translate this signal to an image. Your brain plays a big part in how you see color.

According to Color Matters, the human eye can see 7,000,000 colors, while some estimates bringing that number as high as 10,000,000. Today we are going to explore some of the rarest and weirdest colors out there, some colors that could be great for your next DIY project.

Synthetic Ultramarine

You have never seen a blue like this. This prized blue color dates back to the 19th century, its synthesis has always been shrouded in secrecy until recently. Naturally occurring ultramarine itself has always held an air of mystique, only appearing in the very rare mineral lazurite. Artists have always been drawn to this blue color.

Australien

Going down under any time soon? Originally appearing in 1897 in the guide House Decoration the author described the rusty color of the rocks and deserts of the Australian outback. The color itself became a popular color for the fashion houses in late Victorian England.

Drunk-Tank Pink

A bright color of bink, Drunk-tank has been the subject of multiple studies involving the effects of colors on the human temperament. Also known as, Baker-Miller pink, the color was invented by Navy officers. The color was used in prisons and police holding cells because of the color’s calming influence.

Lusty Gallant

Though the origins of this color’s name are slightly unclear.  Lusty gallant was the name of a dance of a popular dance in Tudor England during the 1500s and eventually migrated to a pale shade of red similar to coral pink. However, the name of the color is also to have said to develop out of the odd names of Elizabethan dressmakers.

Puke

This color does not derive itself from what happens to you after too many drinks. The term puke is usually used to describe the color dark brown. In fact, the term may have gotten its origins from the phrase “puke-stocking” from William Shakespeare’s Henry IV: Part 1.

Smaragdine

If you're a big fan of green, this color is for you. A 2013 Pantone Color of the Year, Smaragdine is a radiant emerald green that would be perfect for any wardrobe.

Falu

Looking for something to up your rustic color palette? Like a lot of the colors on this list, Falu has a unique story that originates from a specific geographic region. The deep red shade is named after the Swedish City of Falun where the barns in the countryside are painted the  Falu color.

Mummy Brown

Yes. It is exactly what you are thinking right now. This unique color came into existence when people would harvest mummies from Egypt and then extract the brown resin material that was on the wrappings around the bodies and turn that into a pigment. The color was very popular during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Dragon's Blood

Unfortunately, this color was not made from real dragons. The bright red color is made from rattan palm. It is a bright red resin that is obtained from this very specific species of plant. Some people view this red resin as a cure-all for a host of ailments. Daenerys Targaryen would approve.

Wenge

The color wenge comes up a lot if you are in the business of furniture design. The dark brown wood color with copper undertones could help warm up any home. However, the “real” wenge color comes from the endangered Millettia laurentii legume tree.

Coquelicot

This might sound like an exotic drink, but coquelicot is originally another word for poppy. The color gets its name from its beautiful naturally occurring orange-tinted red color. The first recorded use of the color dates all the way back to 1795.

What is your favorite color?