Mediterranean colour

Raman spectrometry is another variant which has become important. To quote one expert (Purcell 1993), In 1928, the Indian physicist C.V. Raman (later the first Indian Nobel prizewinner) reported the discovery of frequency-shifted lines in the scattered light of transparent substances. The shifted lines, Raman announced, were independent of the exciting radiation and characteristic of the sample itself. It appears that Raman was motivated by a passion to understand the deep blue colour of the Mediterranean. The many uses of this technique include examination of polymers and of silicon for microcircuits (using an exciting wavelength to which silicon is transparent). 

The Indian physicist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was on a cruise on the Mediterranean Sea in 1921. Some reports suggest it was his honeymoon. Others say the beauty of its deep blue opalescence captivated him. Whatever the reason, he dedicated the rest of his life to understanding its colour and discovered the so-called Raman effect. 

Light impinging on the surface of the Mediterranean Sea is scattered. Of this light, a small proportion is scattered in such a way that the frequency changes, causing it to look more blue than was the incident light. This shift in frequency causes the blue colour of the Mediterranean Sea. 

Raman s studies of the Mediterranean Sea s colour led to the phrase blue-sky research, because his work at the time had no obvious contemporary application. 

Heterocyclic colouring matters have been in use since prehistoric times through such natural products as indigo (1) (76MI11200), its 6,6 -dibromo derivative (Tyrian Purple), extracted from the shell of the Mediterranean mollusc, Murex brandaris (74MI11200), and logwood or haematin (2). Haematin is extracted in its leuco or colourless form, haematoxylin,... 

The best known is C. rubrum, which was earlier called C. nobilis. This is the original gem coral, and has been prized for centuries. It is an even, soft, pink to crimson colour. It grows in the Mediterranean, where the best quality is said to come from around Sardinia. Closely related corals from other regions are now also used, as follows ... 

People looked at A1—his clothes. A1 looked at people, fascinated and jubilant. It was a jolt seeing blacks and whites mixing free, other types too, light-skinned Mediterranean like his own, Chinese, Indian. Some seemed to have dyed their hair completely the wrong colour. Amazing. 

Kermococcus illicis L. (formerly Coccus illicis L.), which is found on the oak Quercus ilex L. in the Mediterranean region, is mentioned in the historical Hterature as a source of kermes however, it appears that it is not possible to derive a dyesmff from this insect (Schweppe, 1992) and Cardon (1990) posmlates that this may have been used as a substitution product, as she indicated that it produces a poor dye of hrown-red colour. 

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