Hlau oxides (tshwj xeeb tshaj yog cov xim liab) tau siv txij li lub sijhawm prehistoric. Lawv tau siv thawj zaug los ntawm cavemen los tawm cov pov thawj ntawm lawv qhov chaw nyob hauv qhov tsua, xws li tsiaj kos duab, txhawm rau kom muaj kev yos hav zoov ntau. Thawj lub qhov tsua kos duab tau pom nyob rau hauv Saubia Roob hauv lub teb chaws Yelemees, Lascaux hauv Fabkis, thiab Altamira hauv Spain. Nyob nruab nrab ntawm 40, 000 thiab 10, 000 BC, lawv tau pleev xim rau. Cov av nplaum nplua nuj nyob hauv cov hlau oxide tau siv los tsim cov xim.
Hlau oxide tom qab tau pom nyob rau hauv Neolithic ceramics, Renaissance los yog Impressionist paintings, thaum ntxov lub nroog cib, thiab hais txog. Natural Iron Oxides tseem siv dav niaj hnub no. Synthetic hom, ntawm qhov tod tes, yog ntau nrov niaj hnub no vim lawv superior pigment kev ua tau zoo. Lawv cov koob npe yog los ntawm lawv cov ntxoov ntxoo ntuj thiab tshwj xeeb tshuaj, lub cev, thiab cov khoom siv, uas ua rau lawv tseem ceeb hauv ntau yam kev siv.





