Umber is a natural brown earth pigment that contains iron oxide and manganese oxide. In its natural form, it is called raw umber. When calcined, the color becomes warmer and it becomes known as burnt umber. Its name derives from terra d'ombra, or earth of Umbria, the Italian name of the pigment. Umbria is a mountainous region in central Italy where the pigment was originally extracted. The word also may be related to the Latin word umbra, meaning "shadow". Pigment samples * Limonite, or hydrated iron oxide, is the basic ingredient of the earth pigments ochre, sienna and umber. * * *