Purple is one of the rarest naturally occurring colors you can find in nature. Apart from purple flowers like lavender and orchids, it’s highly unlikely that you will find this color occurring naturally anywhere. The color is so rare that Roman emperors and Byzantine rulers took it as a symbol of royalty and power. They wore purple robes, and some cultures even prohibited commoners from wearing purple. Queen Elizabeth I of England made a law forbidding anyone outside the royal family from wearing the color. With that in mind, here are some more mind-blowing facts about the color purple.
1. Purple Is the Most Expensive Color in History
One of the main ways of obtaining the purple dye in ancient times was by abstracting it from a rare snail called murex. Given how costly and labor-intensive the process was, only the wealthy could afford the dye. To put this into perspective, about 10,000 snails were needed to produce a gram of Tyrian purple dye. It was traded with 3 pounds of gold.
2. Purple Is Not a Real Color
Like white, purple is not a real color but a mixture of blue and red.
3. There Is a Purple Brain Effect
Psychologists believe the purple brain effect stimulates creativity and imagination. This probably explains why innovators, dreamers, and artists are associated with the color.
4. Ancient Greeks Believed a Purple Stone Prevented Them from Drunkenness
Ancient Greeks wore a purple stone called amethyst to prevent drunkenness. They also carved drinking vessels using the semiprecious stones to avoid intoxication.
5. The US Armed Forces Received Over a Million Purple Heart Medals When Japan Surrendered
At the end of World War II, the Japanese troops surrendered to the United States armed forces. Incidentally, the US armed forces demanded over a million Purple Heart medals, anticipating a difficult land invasion. Surprisingly, the invasion, dubbed Operation Downfall, was smoother than expected. The stock of the Purple Heart medals collected is still being used.
6. A Manufacturing Process Defect Has Been Causing LED Streetlights to Turn Purple
LED streetlights are designed to turn white when turned on. However, the streetlights have been turning purple in most parts of the United States. This is because of a manufacturing process defect experienced between 2017 and 2020. The blue LED starts to show through as the yellow phosphor coating delaminates, resulting in a purplish glow.
7. Purple and Violet Are Strikingly Similar
In optics, purple and violet can be difficult to differentiate. One of the major telling differences is that violet is an actual color with its set of wavelengths on the visible light spectrum. On the other hand, purple is a composite color; you can achieve it by combining red and blue.
8. Robert Hanssen Was Caught Because of Using the Phrase “Purple-Pissing Japanese”
Robert Hanssen was an infamous spy who worked with the FBI but provided classified information to Soviet and Russian intelligence services. The espionage was described as possibly the worst intelligence disaster in the history of the United States.
Before being caught, Hanssen had given the authorities a hard time. He was only identified because he used a quote from George S. Patton’s speech to the Third Army, which included the phrase “the purple-pissing Japanese.
9. Purple is Popular in Pop Culture Because of a Song by Prince
In 1984, Prince, an American singer, songwriter, producer, and instrumentalist, released a song and album titled “Purple Rain.” It became so popular that it catapulted the color into pop culture. Today, it is used as a symbol of emotion, love, and artistic genius.
10. Romans Crucified Dogs While Geese Watched from Purple Pillows
In ancient Rome, Romans would crucify dogs as geese sat and watched on purple pillows. Apparently, when Gauls attacked Rome in 390 GSE, guard dogs remained silent while the geese raised the alarm. This practice was known as supplicia canum (punishment of the dogs). At the time, purple was a symbol of royalty.