The word mica is derived from the Latin word mica, meaning a crumb, and probably influenced by micare, to glitter.  The earliest use of mica has been found in cave paintings created roughly 40,000 BC to 10,000 BC.  Throughout history, mica was primarily used for artwork: to add a splash of color and reflectivity to pottery, the aforementioned paintings, or sometimes even used as a digestive aid in Ayurvedic medicine.  Those ancient uses are brought to modern times with an abstract look at historically widely used natural media.