Term: Cadmium

Cadmium is a term used to describe a class of brilliant pigments that include cadmium as one of its chemical components. Hues containing cadmium sulfide vary from lemon yellow to orange; adding increasing amounts of cadmium selenium produces a red pigment which can be very dark, almost black. Cadmium yellow is sometimes mixed with viridian to give a bright, pale green mixture called cadmium green.

The cadmium pigments have been partially replaced by azo pigments. These are similar in lightfastness to the cadmium colors and have the advantage of both being cheaper and non-toxic. Cadmium is highly toxic and can produce cadmium poisoning.