Opzhǣ

Opzhǣ, also known as Japezīn Blue, is a natural dye that produces a strong teal hue. The dye compound is extracted from the petals of a flowering plant of the same name found in parts of southern Tuanmali (and, to a lesser degree, northern Mwamba). It produces intense, long-lasting color that is highly resistant to fading, making it highly sought-after.

Opzhǣ had been known to produce a pale blue dye for several centuries, but its true potential was not unlocked until 1793, when Dele Amǣ, a polymath living in what is now the Tuanmali state of Japezīn, developed an ammonia-based extraction process that resulted in a considerably more saturated dye. The earlier light blue dye is sometimes referred to as "false opzhǣ", as opposed to the modern "true opzhǣ".

Amǣ's extraction process was lengthy and expensive, limiting use of the dye to the wealthy and sparking a craze for the color among the upper class in the region. Many other researchers attempted to develop a cheaper or faster process, but due to peculiarities in the chemical compounds involved, their success was limited. In 1910, a Lhavrinian scientist <NAME?> was able to synthetically duplicate the primary colorants found in opzhǣ. Synthetic opzhǣ dye has largely replaced natural opzhǣ in widespread use, but natural opzhǣ is still produced on a small scale for niche markets.