Laser microspectral analysis (LMA) is a versatile and sensitive analytical tool for the qualitative detection of the characteristic and trace elements found in pigment materials. A particular asset for the conservation laboratory is that each spectrum represents a permanent unambiguous record of an analysis in a form suitable for future comparative studies. LMA provides a valuable adjunct to the examination of the layer structure of minute paint flakes by optical microscopy, and when information gathered from these two techniques is combined with x-ray diffraction studies using the powder camera method, the majority of the inorganic materials found in paintings can be identifled with certainty.