What chemical element is essential for giving synthetic ultramarine its distinct blue hue?
Chapter 1

The stone from the sky

Chapter 2

Sacred blues of the ancient world

Chapter 3

The birth of ultramarine

Chapter 4

The great chemistry race

Chapter 5

Out of the blue

YOUR GOAL

Master of The story of ultramarine

Ch 4 · The great chemistry race
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andy The German controversy

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andy The Ultramarine Chemistry Race

We chased a blue once worth much more than gold, Now made from clay and sulfur, bright and bold.

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andy The government bounty

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The German controversy

andy German chemist Christian Gmelin independently published his own formula weeks after Guimet.

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The discovery of French Ultramarine

andy In 1828, French chemist Jean-Baptiste Guimet successfully created synthetic ultramarine.

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The great chemistry race
BETA

andy The great chemistry race

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Fun Fact

Accidental discovery: Chemists first noticed synthetic blue forming on the walls of industrial soda kilns, which inspired the 1824 French contest.

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Gossip

Who should get credit for synthetic ultramarine?

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Quiz

Which French chemist won the prize in 1828 for inventing synthetic ultramarine?

Jul 30

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andy The discovery of French Ultramarine

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Quiz

Which art movement in the late 19th century heavily capitalized on the cheap availability of synthetic ultramarine?

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andy Democratizing the canvas

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Quiz

What was the commercial name given to the newly invented synthetic ultramarine pigment?

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Quiz

Which German chemist independently published a synthetic ultramarine formula weeks after Guimet?

Jul 30

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Quiz

What cheap, everyday ingredients were heated together to create synthetic ultramarine?

Jul 30

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Quiz

How did the price of synthetic ultramarine compare to natural ultramarine when first released?

Jul 30

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Quiz

What French organization offered a 6,000-franc prize in 1824 to find a synthetic ultramarine?

Jul 30

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Quiz

What chemical element is essential for giving synthetic ultramarine its distinct blue hue?

Jul 30