Ararat kermes consists of up to 50% of lipids , fatty substances. Apparently these also impede the dyeing process. On silk, we could only achieve a medium pink-red on wool, a darker red.
Historical Data
In the eighth century B.C., Sargon II, king of Assyria , defeated the Urartaean kingdom and plundered its palaces. Scarlet red textiles from Ararat are listed as booty. We can assume that these highly appreciated textiles were dyed with Ararat kermes ( Porphyrophora hameli Brand), which is referred to some literature as Armenian kermes or Ararat cochineal. The essential dye ingredient of these insects, carminic acid, has been found in Roman textiles of the first or second centuries A.D. from Palmyra .
