A new insight into the vaults of the kings in the Alhambra (Granada, Spain) by combination of portable XRD and XRF

The results show that the red hues are made from cinnabar and/or hematite. The flesh colour is a mixture of cinnabar and hydrocerussite, while malachite was used for the greens. Blues were achieved using lazurite and azurite, and the ochre tones using clays. Furthermore, XRD detected the presence of red lead in the red-ochre and orange tones, while gold is present together with tin and iron. Moreover, strontium is associated with the plaster preparation, and a compound made with arsenic and sulphur was observed in the green areas.