![]() ![]() Unfortunately, Ultramarine was created using a laborious and expensive process that involved grinding up lapis lazuli, a semi-precious gem that could only be found in the far-off mountains of Afghanistan.īecause of this prohibitive cost of making Ultramarine, the Napoleonic administration commissioned various chemists and artists to find a cheaper solution. Back then, artists that wanted to paint with vibrant blues relied on a pigment called Ultramarine. A Noble History of Cobalt Blue Photo by Noah Grossenbacher on UnsplashĪlthough the use of Cobalt compounds had been in use since the Bronze Age, Cobalt blue as an actual color didn’t make it to European shores up until the beginning of the 19 th century. This is a common cause of lung damage for artists who primarily use Cobalt Blue in their airbrush projects. These Cobalt blue hues usually contain very little –if at all –cobalt, instead being made up primarily of multiple pigments meant to recreate the vibrant color of the real thing.īe warned, however: Cobalt Blue can be toxic when inhaled. Cobalt ore), some unscrupulous art suppliers will sometimes sell imitation Cobalt Blue. A related color, Cobalt Green, carries the chemical formula 4CoO.3Al 2O 3.Īlthough Cobalt blue uses a cheaper source material (i.e. Once treated, the resulting mixture is called Cobalt Blue, with the chemical formula CoAl 2O 4. To create cobalt blue, cobalt is heated with aluminum silicates to a whopping 1200☌. Once processed, Cobalt can be used to produce bright and vibrant blues that are used in paint pigments. In its natural, unprocessed state, Cobalt isn’t actually blue it has a color very similar to burnished silver. ![]() What Color is Cobalt Blue: The Science Behind ItĬarrying the Co symbol on the periodic table, Cobalt carries an atomic number of 27. ![]() One of the most fascinating colors to come out of the spectrum, Cobalt blue, has a fascinating history that dates back to the 19 th century, with Cobalt itself having a quirky background as the favorite ore of goblins. ![]()
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