Van Houten (1973), Walker (1976) and Turner (1980) have documented the authigenic origin of red coatings in continental red beds. Pigmentary hematite, ferrihydrite, goethite and clay-associated Fe-oxide crystallites have been suggested as the principal colouring agents of continental red beds (Walker, 1968, 1976; Walker & Honea, 1969; Larson & Walker, 1975; Turner, 1980; Fine, 1986, Besly et al., 1993). The red pigment in most Mesozoic red beds consists of hematite, whereas ferrihydrite and goethite are more common in younger sediments (van Houten, 1973). This has led several authors to the assumption that poorly crystalline Fe-oxides/hydroxides age into hematite (Walker, 1968, 1976; Walker & Honea, 1969; Larson & Walker, 1975; Turner, 1980).