Cobalt blue

Cobalt blue is a pretty blue color used to add a lovely shade to different things. It is made from special ingredients, including cobalt and aluminum, heated together to create a stable blue pigment.

People have used cobalt blue for a long time. It was important in making colorful Chinese porcelain, adding sparkle to jewelry, and giving paint its bright blue look. Unlike some other blue colors, cobalt blue stays the same even under tough conditions.

This color is also used to give a blue tint to clear glasses through a mixture called smalt. Because it is so strong and steady, cobalt blue has remained a favorite for artists and makers for many years.

Historical uses and production

People have used ores with cobalt to color porcelain and glass blue for a very long time. In Chinese porcelain, they used a form of cobalt blue long ago. In 1742, a scientist named Georg Brandt found that cobalt was the metal that made the blue color. The first time cobalt blue was called that in English was in 1777. Later, in 1802, another scientist named Louis Jacques Thénard discovered how to make it using alumina. People started selling it in France in 1807. A company in Norway led by Benjamin Wegner, called Blaafarveværket ("blue colour works"), became very well known for making cobalt blue. Germany was also good at making it, especially in the Ore Mountains of Saxony.

Cobalt glass is used to make things look beautiful and can also help change how we see colors.

In human culture

Art

Cobalt blue has been a popular blue color for many years. It was the main blue used in old Chinese blue and white porcelain from the 800s. Islamic pottery, like dishes and tiles from Iznik in the 1400s, also used a lot of cobalt blue. In Poland, the town of Bolesławiec used cobalt blue in its pottery for pretty blue and white designs.

Famous artists like J. M. W. Turner, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, and Vincent van Gogh used cobalt blue in their paintings. It works well for skies and other bright colors. The artist Maxfield Parrish loved using cobalt blue for his colorful sky paintings. Today, cobalt blue is also a popular color for decorating homes.

Automobiles

Some car makers, like Jeep and Bugatti, offer cobalt blue as a paint choice for their vehicles.

Construction

Cobalt blue is used to color blue concrete because it stays stable even with chemicals.

Sports

Two Major League Soccer teams, Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City, use cobalt blue as one of their team colors.

Vexillology

Countries like the Netherlands and Romania, as well as the U.S. state of Nevada, use cobalt blue in their flags.

Video games

Sega’s logo is cobalt blue, and their character Sonic the Hedgehog is also colored in cobalt blue.

Toxicity

Cobalt blue can be harmful if eaten or breathed in. People should be careful when using it to keep it out of their bodies and to prevent cobalt poisoning.