Chrome is the second most popular high-fired pigment in this kiln, after cobalt blue. When fired alone in reducing fire, chrome compounds produce a definite green color, while in oxidizing fire they produce gold, orange, red, and sometimes blue. No green color is produced when iron oxide coexists.
A mixture of chromium oxide and cobalt oxide produces violet, and black in the presence of iron oxide and manganese oxide. Chromium oxide and manganese oxide produce brown. Chrome yellow (lead chromate PbCrO) and chrome red (lead basic chromate 2PbOPbCrO) are used for making overglazes and for pigments in lead-containing ceramic glazes. Coral red is made by adding chrome red to low-fired fused frit. Pink pigment is obtained by mixing chromium oxide and tin oxide and firing it in Ryozan . Chromium oxide is hardly soluble in the glaze and, like tin oxide, is simply dispersed in the glaze. Therefore, it is advisable to frit the chrome green in advance. In this case, do not apply reducing solution. If the frit contains a lot of lime, the chromium oxide shows a beautiful green color. Nickel oxide or copper oxide may be used with chromium oxide to enhance the green color.
