Origin of Chromium Oxide Green

The average number of colors that humans can distinguish is about one million. This situation varies depending on color blindness, or at the other end of the spectrum, depending on the "four color observer"; Rare individuals with genetic mutations can see up to 100 million colors. However, what humans have in common is their ability to recognize changes in green better than any other color.

A short explanation for this commonality is the connection between human evolution and the past of our ancestors and the main green habitats that can identify food or prey. Today, the strong connection with green is still deeply rooted in our DNA, and the word "green" itself is an abbreviation for many concepts; From living a "green" and healthy lifestyle or holding a "green" political perspective.

Many other species have also found ways to respond to this color, such as walking leaf insects, which use not only the green color of the environment, but also the shape and surface texture of the leaves to achieve perfect camouflage. In the pigment world, one of the most stable green pigments is chromium oxide green; Also known as chrome green. Chromium oxide green exists in nature in the form of Eskolaite, named after Finnish geologist Pentti Eskola. An incredible feature of this rare mineral is that its metallic glass green surface has a moss-like camouflage appearance in nature.

Since the 1800s, many inorganic pigments have been synthesized. Chrome oxide green is one of the achievements of the Scientific Revolution in the 19th century. It has produced many synthetic dyes and pigments, which were previously found in nature only as minerals (inorganic pigments) or from carbon based organic substances, such as insects or plants (organic pigments). In 1838, artist and chemist Antoine Claude Pannetier was the first person to manufacture chromium oxide pigments; A method that was later patented by Charles Ernest Guignot in 1859. George Field is also famous for making this color, but it is unclear from his notes whether this is hydrated transparent chromium oxide (sometimes called Viridian) or anhydrous chromium oxide, which is related to the highly opaque chromium oxide green.