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A Perfect Red

Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire

Lustrous Red was the color of Royalty. They were the only ones that could afford to purchase this most expensive of dyes.

The cochineal insect was one of the most valuable resources in the world upon its discovery. Yes, the story is about a Mexican bug. The Aztecs sold it in their marketplaces and the Spanish conquistadors of 1519 quickly realized its value. The Italians dominated the textile dyes industry until that time. The great wealth of Spain was significantly enhanced thanks to their monopoly on the Dactylopius coccus. During the 16th Century the Spanish ships traveling across the Atlantic were popular attractions for English and other pirates to get their hands on the wealth contained, particularly the cochineal dye.

Spain masterfully kept all knowledge of the source of this dye from anyone. An intriguing portion of A Perfect Red is the arguments as to whether cochineal was an insect or a plant. That so many incorrectly believed the latter was true illustrated the brilliance of the Spanish decision to keep that information quiet as others went to the wrong places to find this insect while actually searching for flora over fauna. The Spanish dominance lasted for 3 centuries until synthetic dyes were created, destroying the market value of cochineal.

Amy Butler Greenfield writes a fascinating tale of the international chase to find this illusive and valuable resource.