Crimson Lake was originally made from kermes — a scale insect parasite of oak trees — then from cochineal after New World contact. The word "crimson" derives from "kermes" via Arabic qirmiz.

Crimson lake is the colour of luxury and formality — darker and more dignified than scarlet, associated with ecclesiastical robes, royal livery, and court ceremonial. It carries gravity.

Aztec cochineal was so valuable that it was the third most traded commodity in the Spanish empire after gold and silver. The British redcoat military uniform colour was achieved with cochineal. Gainsborough and Reynolds used crimson lake for aristocratic drapery, unaware of its fugitive nature.