Purple has long been a symbol of luxury and exclusivity. In ancient times, its rich hue was so rare—extracted painstakingly from sea snails—that it was reserved solely for royalty. While modern chemistry has made purple pigments more accessible, the color still comes at a high cost. In ceramic decoration, creating an authentic purple glaze requires one of the world’s most coveted and expensive materials: gold. 

In April 2025, gold prices reached an all-time high of $3,177 per ounce, and experts believe its value will continue to rise. As costs soar, manufacturers in the dinnerware and specialty glass industries are increasingly challenged to maintain color consistency and production efficiency. Many hues like rose, magenta, red-violet, deep red and purples traditionally required gold to produce their rich tones, but as prices increase, so does the challenge to produce these colors affordably.

Turn the tables on tradition

Recognizing the limitations of relying on a single, high-cost and finite resource, our Performance Coatings team developed a series of gold-free purple onglazes. Engineered from a unique blend of pigment and glass, these onglazes replicate the depth and tone of gold-based glazes, without the need for gold. This innovation provides manufacturers with greater flexibility and resilience in an increasingly volatile market. 

When used in our lead-free decorative series, our gold-free purples meet strict health, safety and environmental standards and satisfy regulations for food contact materials including: 

These purples provide a sensible option for dinnerware manufacturers, without compromise 

Color with confidence

Vibrantz gold-free purples offer a broad palette and reliable performance. Key benefits include: 

  • Compatibility with our existing Samba 100 and Carnival 100 onglaze series
  • Strong chemical resistance to alkaline and acidic substances
  • High temperature stability and suitability for firing up to 900°C 
  • Application stability that ensures high-quality, consistent results
  • Dishwasher safe and scratch resistance 
  • Durability to maintain rich colors throughout lifespan

Our gold-free onglaze technology is transforming decorative colors. By choosing gold-free purples, customers can achieve many of the same popular hues as gold-based colors, with more stable raw material costs and a more predictable supply chain.

Stephan Ludwig, Lab Technician, Glass Coatings

A new era of color

In unpredictable raw materials and precious metals markets, our gold-free purples offer manufacturers a more secure, scalable alternative. Gold-free purples offer a distinct palette from traditional gold-based onglazes and deliver compelling advantages for ceramic decoration like:

  • Price stability – More predictable raw material costs that make less of an impact on end-market pricing 
  • Supply security – More secure and scalable supply, fewer production delays and supports higher production volumes 
  • Color range – Broad, rich range of colors that is comparable with many gold-based colors
  • Durability – Extremely durable under everyday use
Pink
Medium Purple
Derby Blue

Your trusted supplier for high-performance colors

With over a century of experience in ceramic decoration colors and materials, Vibrantz continues to innovate for the current commercial environment while staying grounded in industry knowledge. Our technical experts work closely to formulate gold-free purple onglazes to specific production needs, from firing temperature to substrate and application method.  

Explore our gold-free purple solutions and contact us to get started. 

Ali Saberi

Global Research and Development Manager, Glass Coatings

Ali Saberi

Global Research and Development Manager, Glass Coatings

Ali Saberi is the Global Research and Development Manager for Glass Coatings at Vibrantz Technologies. He has more than 15 years of experience in materials science, specializing in advanced glass and glass-ceramic technologies. Since joining Vibrantz in 2015, Ali has led research and development initiatives across a range of specialty glass applications, including dental composites, bioactive glasses and solid electrolytes. He holds a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology.