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María Castro Jiménez's avatar

I love this story, and I am very jealous of this experience :) I am surprised they didn´t know Indigo was a dye.

My parents travelled to Morocco in June. They saw indigo at a market and brought me some in rocks and powder form. I have been wondering if it´s real indigo or not, specially the powder has such a bright color that it doesn´t seem completely natural to me.

Do you know if there is some way to test if it´s natural or a synthetic imitation? (other than taking it to a laboratory).

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Helen Reynolds's avatar

There is a way to tell if indigo is natural or synthetic, using gas chromatography. Synthetic indigo has more aniline in it than natural. I think I have heard that you can use carbon dating too. But the synthesized molecule is exactly the same as the natural molecule - the blue is exactly the same - bright!! So natural indigo can look a little bit more murky in the powder form than the synthetic because it might have a few organic extra ingredients in the powder, like indigo red and brown compounds. Or it could be the same bright blue if iti has had a high quality extraction.

It was a fabulous experience

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dee kawai tang's avatar

i had a lot of fun reading about this (money bags malae!) ;)

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Helen Reynolds's avatar

Always grateful to you 💛

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Anne Marie Basquin's avatar

Fascinating to read 🩵

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Helen Reynolds's avatar

Thanks 🙏

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Michela Griffith's avatar

As I read down to the amazing colour, I wondered what you might do with it Helen, so I laughed at your closing line. Have fun!

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Leanne Shawler's avatar

Oh how cool! So is this recipe not quite lost then. Indigo seems to be as bright as synthetics to me!

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Helen Reynolds's avatar

Fortunately the recipe is on the internet! It is such a startling blue, it feels magical

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Claire V.'s avatar

I'm loving this story, thanks for sharing. Also, the colour is amazing

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Helen Reynolds's avatar

Isnt it such an amazing colour?💙

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