The History

Cobalt is Cool! 
By Adam Reedy
9/30/2014

Cobalt is a hard, silver-gray, lustrous metal. Many know cobalt for its signature “Cobalt Blue” color, seen in glass, ceramics, and paints. Few know the other uses of this versatile metal and its long history across the world.

    Cobalt use has been dated as far back as The Bronze Age, where it was detected in Egyptian sculptures and Persian jewelry. Compounds with Cobalt have also been found in remnants of Pompeii, the Tang dynasty, and the Ming dynasty. Cobalt was officially discovered in 1735 by Georg Brandt, a chemist and mineralogist from Sweden. Sven Rinman and Louis Jacques Thénard are credited for discovering the pigments cobalt green and cobalt blue, respectively. Since its discovery, cobalt has remained an important element that we cannot live without. Mines have been established across the world to ensure production with the largest source being the Mukondo Mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    Cobalt’s main use is its blue color. Cobalt blue has been used in glass, ceramics, pigments, dyes, paints, jewelry, and porcelain enamel. And while the blue given be cobalt is extremely beautiful, few know the more industrial and medical aspects of cobalt. Cobalt can be found in cobalamin, or vitamin B12, which is used to form blood, involved in brain activity, and metabolism. B12 is also used to treat cyanide poisoning and deficiency of itself. Alloys with cobalt have been used in turbines, aircraft engines, jewelry, and orthopedic implants, as cobalt is a non-corrosive metal.