Cobalt green
Description
A composite green pigment composed of cobalt and zinc oxides that have been calcined together. First developed in 1780 by Sven Rinman, a Swedish chemist, cobalt green, or Rinman's green, was not sold as an artists pigment in 1835. Cobalt green is a permanent, bright, bluish-green pigment. It is a good drier in oil paints but has low tinctorial power. The name cobalt green has also been used for some commercial paints that have a mixture of Cobalt blue and Chrome yellow.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Pigment Green 19; CI 77335; verde cobalto (Esp.); Kobaltgrün (Deut.); Rinmansgrün (Deut.); vert de cobalt (Fr.); prasino toy kobaltioy (Gr.); verde di cobalto (It.); verde di zinco (It.); cobaltgroen (Ned.); verde de cobalto (Port.); zinc green (incorrect); Rinman's green; Rinmann's green; Saxony green; Swedish green; smalt green; Gellert green;
Other Properties
Fine, regular, rounded, transparent particles. Bright green in transmitted light.
Highly refraction. High birefringence.
Resistant to alkalis. Slightly soluble in acids producing a pale pink solution.
| Composition | CoO-ZnO |
|---|---|
| Refractive Index | 1.94-2.0 |
Hazards and Safety
Skin contact may cause allergies, especially on elbows, neck and ankles. Chronic inhalation may cause asthma. Ingestion may cause vomiting, diarrhea and the sensation of hotness.
Additional Information
Pigments Through the Ages: Azurite
Sources Checked for Data in Record
- R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia, Dover Publications, New York, 1966 Comment: p. 109
- Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
- Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996
- Reed Kay, The Painter's Guide To Studio Methods and Materials, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1983
- Michael McCann, Artist Beware, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979
- R.D. Harley, Artists' Pigments c. 1600-1835, Butterworth Scientific, London, 1982
- Thomas B. Brill, Light Its Interaction with Art and Antiquities, Plenum Press, New York City, 1980
- David Bomford, Jo Kirby, John Leighton, Ashok Roy, Art in the Making:Impressionism, National Gallery, London, 1990
- Susan E. Schur, Conservation Terminology: A review of Past & Current Nomenclature of Materials, Technology and Conservation, Spring (p.34-39); Summer (p.35-38); Fall (p.25-36), 1985
- Monona Rossol, The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide, Allworth Press, New York, 1994
- Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000
- Website address 1 Comment: Pigments Through the Ages: http://webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/overview/cogreen.html