Vermilion (sometimes spelled vermillion)[1][2] is both a brilliant red or scarlet pigment, originally made from the powdered mineral cinnabar, and the corresponding color.[3] It is commonly used in Hindu culture, primarily by women, and was widely used in the art and decoration of Ancient Rome, in the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages, in the paintings of the Renaissance, and in the art and lacquerware of China.[4][5]

The word vermilion came from the Old French word vermeillon, which was derived from vermeil, from the Latin vermiculus, the diminutive of the Latin word vermis, or worm. The name originated because it had a similar color to the natural red dye made from an insect, Kermes vermilio, which was widely used in Europe.[6] The first recorded use of “vermilion” as a color name in English was in 1289.[7][8] The term cinnabar was used interchangeably with vermilion until the 17th century, when vermilion became the more common name. Now the term “cinnabar” is used in mineralogy and crystallography for the red crystalline form of mercury sulfide HgS. Thus, the natural mineral pigment is called “cinnabar”, and its synthetic form is called “vermilion”. In ancient times, the term “cinnabar” could also be applied to red lead.[9]