Why Tyrian Purple Dye Is So Expensive | So Expensive | Insider Business

Making authentic Tyrian purple dye starts with extracting a murex snail gland. After a series of painstaking steps, Tunisian dye maker Mohamed Ghassen Nouira turns as much as 45 kilograms of snails into a single gram of pure Tyrian purple extract. When he's done, he can sell it for $2,700. Some retailers sell a gram of the pigment for over $3,000. In comparison, 5 grams of synthetic Tyrian purple costs under $4.

So, why is real Tyrian purple so hard to make? And is that why it's so expensive?

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Why Tyrian Purple Dye Is So Expensive | So Expensive | Insider Business

[truthhurts]

Is it me or was anyone expecting that accent of the guy making the purple 🟣?

[ghassennouira]

Again thanks for your nice comments and God have mercy on those who keep accusing without having a single clue about my actual dyeing work or intentions!

I hope this message gets to most viewers since l am not going to spend my time justifying my actions to people who aren't even ready to listen!

Again, more than 90% of the Murex l use are naturally trapped in fishermen nets and that are otherwise either consumed by the fishermen themselves or sold to local seafood restaurants so basically most of the Murex l am using are not caught specifically for dyeing purposes exception made of the small portion caught by the divers.

On the other hands and as mentioned earlier, l respect the seasons and sort the snails by size before processing them. Moreover, l naturally consume these mollusks like so many Tunisians l just make sure not to waste the dye. Also all the other parts of the snail are recycled, shells are turned into lime, opercula as incense fixative and even the guts are processed into garum while hundreds of thousands of tons of other marine creatures are harvested every year in the whole world for meat consumption only while the rest of the creature is dumped and nobody seems to care!!

My work extends over 15 years and no harm has ever been caused to the local Murex which is more abundant than ever here!

Let me remind those who are appalled by the use of a natural ingredient to produce a colorant and prefer replicating it chemically that synthetic dyeing is the world's most polluting industry harming millions of living beings every year so l wonder who the real assassins are!

Finally you can continue calling me names such killer, murderer, psycho, criminal or whatever your mind dictates to you to say without even making the effort to dig further and learn more about my work l honestly don't care because l have total peace of mind about what l am doing and l will definitely not spend my life justifying my actions to people who's only concern is to accuse others without even listening to the other side.

Keep in mind that prejudice is ignorance so may God lead us all to the light!

A big thanks again to all the supporters from all over the world 🌎

[KateCarew]

I wish people heard the final words “the main concern should always be to preserve the species because if there’s no murex there’s no dye”
So all the folks attacking him…please stop.
He’s an artisan, this is cultural preservation.

[somegenXdude]

To teach yourself a craft that essentially resurrects a product that was virtually extinct is pretty amazing, and the passion and morals behind it have to be recognized.

I'm a tradesman myself, so I really admire and appreciate a master in their craft. I don't think much of the colour (just my opinion), but big props to your work.

Just my 2cents.

[dahaniffer]

I am a Tunisian artist and I am happy to see you posting about Tunisian art and we need to see more episodes from the locals because this place is swimming in under valued art in all forms and it will be cool to show it to the world

[wafu]

It makes me immensely happy to see he is doing this sustainably and minimising as much waste as possible. His comment somewhere in this section highlights how he has kept an eye on the local species population and that its been stable if not better, that he ensures every part of the snail gets used in other industry and/or for consumption.

[ghassennouira]

Over the years l learned to use Murex meat in so many ways! Grilled, boiled, steamed, fried or sauted it's an amazing treat packed with vitamins and proteins! I wish we could find the time to figure out all the different uses of our food (seeds, peels, shells, leaves...) . If we manage to re-use half of our daily waste the world would have been a much better place

[lilq]

I appreciate that he uses the entire snail! I also appreciate that he cares about the snails not becoming over harvested. Natural dyes are extremely interesting to me! The work put into this process is commendable!!

[bernieboo]

I remember learning about this dye and it's making from "sea snails" from my HS World History class. I was taught by a Nun who wanted us to be as fascinated by all of the little fun tidbits of history as she was. She would be so pleased to know you are bringing this back to life. Bless you Sir, and God Rest you Sister Adele.

[GeniusFinds]

I was not expecting him to sound so american

[kevincomair]

Tyrian purple originates from the Phoenician city Tyr (today located in Lebanon). Phoenicians from Tyr, led by a princess forced to exile, founded the city of Carthage (today located in Tunisia). I didn't know that craftsmen are still using these ancestral techniques to produce this beautiful color ... it's great to see ... Thank you Ghassen !

[juan-carlosgonzalez]

Thank you Insider for this amazing documentary, and kudos to both Slim and Ghassen for keeping this dye making process alive.

[Marvee]

I remember reading about tyrion purple in the Roman empire and that it disappeared when the empire fell in my history textbook in high school. So glad it has been brought back. This is one of those things that will stay small scale and niche. That is a good thing in this case. Conservation and responsible production should go hand in hand.

[sophiaisabelle]

The Tyrian purple looks absolutely stunning. Seems like the workers are dedicated through and through.

[patrickdean]

It’s always such a pleasure to find someone that takes joy in their craft

[glorygloryholeallelujah]

Purple is my favorite color — so seeing it created through its ancient natural process, was really fascinating!❤

[kinglouisinguito]

Its so amazing how early people discover they can produce such a beautiful color dye from shell gland. True amazing

[kocabash]

This particular documentary were felt like a journey to me it was amazing. Like eating a extraordinary food from a famous chef and having an endless aftertaste in your mouth. Thanks a lot crew.

[vincem]

Nothing but respect for his hard work and beautiful craft. Natural dyes are superior. Cancer rates are skyrocketing, and it's because we are using synthetic cheap barely regulated products on ourselves. People used these natural dyes for hundreds if not thousands of years. As long as it's sustainable (and it appears to be), I'm all for it. The respect he has and the fact he uses every part is awesome to me. I hope he flourishes 😊and teaches more people so this unique way of making dye continues on. ❤

[stardresser]

Amazing! As someone who has done a LOT of dying fabrics, I can appreciate this incredible ancient craft. Fascinating.