Nearly 25,000 years ago, ancient humans located in the Côa Valley in modern-day Portugal began making outdoor art by painting and carving onto and into the valley rocks. Despite thousands of years of outdoor exposure, the paintings can still be seen. Today we’re lucky to get 5-10 years out of a paint job, why is that?

Today, many paints are commonly made from acrylics, alkyds or epoxies, all of which are plastic. Before plastics, paints were made from robust inorganic material such as minerals and clays. These ancient-era paints were actually more resistant to breaking down from temperature, humidity and oxygen compared to today’s plastic paints which can fade, discolor or decay within just a few years.

Instead of plastic, IONYX Coatings are comprised of the mineral Quartz. Quartz is very hard and immune to UV rays, extreme temperatures, oxidation and humidity. Our technological breakthrough allows us to turn Quartz into a liquid, harden it back into solid form once applied, and convert any surface into durable, protective Quartz.