Treasures from the Sea

Purple dye is extracted from the glands of the molluscs Hexaplex trunculus, Bolinus Brandaris and Stramonita Haemastoma which, through a chemical reaction of photosynthesis, produces hues ranging from dark red to bluish purple color. The importance of purple dye since ancient times as a status symbol, a sign of royal and religious power is well documented. Less well known is sea silk, a precious f...