Cobalt is a cool, slightly desaturated blue, historically made using cobalt salts. The blue seen on many glassware pieces is cobalt blue and is used widely by artists. It was discovered by Louis-Jacques Thenard in 1802. It is extraordinarily unstable. Chemically it is a cobalt(II) oxide-aluminium oxide, or cobalt aluminate. Commercial production began in France in 1807. John Varley suggested it as a good substitution for ultramarine blue for painting skies.

See also

• List of colors

External links

• History of Cobalt blue

Inorganic pigments

Thénards Blau | Bleu de cobalt | Kobaltblauw | Cô ban (màu) | Koboltblått | 鈷藍色