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Cobalt Silicate Blue

PB73

Alternate Name

Cobalt Violet

Pigment Description

A variety of Cobalt Blue which can sometimes be named Cobalt Violet. It is rarely found in artist paints. From what we have found it seems to be more frequently found as a reddish violet. We've seen it crop up in a few watercolor blends, but it is hard to find in paints. Sometimes it is part of Cobalt Blue Deep blends.

More common cobalt blues are PB28 (which can range from teal to middle blue to deep) and PB72 for Cobalt Blue Deep.

PB73 is rated as excellent for lightfastness, with all 8's on the blue wool scale. This is also rated at "B" for toxicity so it is potentially hazardous, handle with care and always seek the SDS and consult health and safety experts for details.

One supplier mentioned PB73 has a near-infrared reflectance, which makes it a cool pigment.

Resources

Stats

Lightfastness

Excellent

Generally considered excellent (listed as BWS 8), however see the results for other related cobalt pigments (such as Cobalt Blue) for possible variances due to mixing white. Golden tested their Cobalt Blue Deep, which happens to be a variant of PB28 in their recent lightfastness testing. While this has a different pigment code, it may share some behaviors with other cobalt pigments.

Transparency

Semi-Transparent

Toxicity

Hazard, treat as toxic

Hazardous, contains cobalt. Monona Rossol has information on cobalt pigments available through her site as well as the Artist's Guide to Health and Safety. CAMEO also comments on some of the toxic effects of cobalt. We are not toxicologists nor safety experts so please consult the relevant authorities and also SDS. Treat all pigments and paints with studio safety protocols.

Oil Content

Varies

By weight, Artiscreation lists 15-25 g/100g of oil, but your pigment may have different requirements.

Particle Size

Very Fine

Chemical Name

Cobalt Silicate Blue Olivine

Co-Si

Dry Pigments listing PB73

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