I got this mineral color in an earth trio set from small batch handmade paint company Greenleaf and Blueberry; the other colors were Yellow Ochre (PY43) and Red Ochre (PR102). This expensive, soft blue-grey mineral has been used as a pigment since Roman times and is found in the work of Vermeer.
My handwritten notes: “low strength, high granulation.”
Experiment Results
Hue: Blue-gray. Not very dark.
Strength: Very weak.
Transparency: Transparent (or maybe just weak?)
Granulation: Very lovely granulation in masstone.
Color Mixes: Works as a mild blue granulating agent, and effectively turns oranges/earth oranges into gentle browns. It tends towards grayish greens.
Color Mixes
Here’s Vivianite in context with the other members of the Greenleaf & Blueberry earth set: Yellow Ochre (PY43) and Red Ochre (PR102).
Conclusion
This was an interesting pigment to try. I really like the granulation, and I like the idea of it as a nontoxic, mineral alternative to granulating blues like Cerulean. However, it’s far too gray to work as a sky color. Because of the muted color, low strength, and expense it won’t make it into my palette. But it’s a lovely once-in-a-while effect color, and I can see it being especially useful for stones.