Friedrich Stromeyer, professor of Chemistry and Pharmacology at the University of Göttingen, noticed a zinc solution with an anomalous color during one of his inspections of local pharmacies. Subsequent analyses led to the discovery of cadmium, which indicates the zinc mineral, calamine. The two metals are often found together. Cadmium sulfate, along with a series of impurities, would give rise to a previously unseen range of colors, a boon to painters for centuries to come.
