Cobalt blue
Cobalt blue in impure forms had long been used in Chinese porcelain, but it was independently discovered as a pure alumina-based pigment by Louis Jacques Thénard in 1802. Commercial production began in France in 1807. The first recorded use of "cobalt blue" as a color name in English was in 1777. The leading world manufacturer of cobalt blue in the 19th century was Benjamin Wegner's Norwegian company Blaafarveværket ("blue colour works" in Dano-Norwegian). Germany was also famous for production, especially the blue colour works ("Blaufarbenwerke") in the Ore Mountains of Saxony.
YInMn Blue
The pigment is noteworthy for its vibrant, near-perfect blue color and unusually high NIR reflectance. The color can be adjusted by varying the In/Mn ratio, but the bluest pigment, , has a color comparable to standard cobalt blue pigments.
In June 2016, Australian company Derivan published experiments using (known as Oregon Blue, and also Yin Min Blue) within their artist range (Matisse acrylics). This experimental product was made using the Shepherd licensed pigment.
YInMn Blue is chemically stable, does not fade, and is non-toxic. Moreover, infrared radiation is strongly reflected, which makes this pigment suitable for energy-saving cool coatings. It can be prepared by heating the oxides of the elements yttrium, indium, and manganese to a temperature of approximately .