Found some beautiful chunks of Indian indigo in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood in Dubai, UAE. The large handful cost only 30 AED/11 AUD for 100 grams from a spice vendor.
The plan is to powder, bind and polish this pigment into a blue paint. A 150 ml tube of quality oil paint in a deep blue can cost up to $155. This will be an interesting experiment since I am highly allergic to the cobalt III that can be used to colour the media.