Is ultramarine blue vegan?

Ultramarine blue is an inorganic blue pigment chemically composed of a complex sulfur-containing sodium aluminum silicate. Historically extracted from the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli, modern commercial ultramarine blue, often identified as Pigment Blue 29 or CI 77007, is produced synthetically by heating a mixture of kaolin clay, sodium carbonate, elemental sulfur, and charcoal in an industrial furnace. It is utilized as a coloring agent in cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, dietary supplement coatings, and select food contact materials or permitted specialty food applications.

ultramarine blue is vegan because its production relies entirely on mineral and synthetic sources. Animal-derived raw materials, tissues, or animal byproducts are not used at any stage of its manufacturing process, and no animal substances serve as processing aids during its synthesis. Because the starting materials consist exclusively of mined minerals and basic chemical compounds, the final pigment involves no animal inputs.