(Kobald, from the German, goblin or evil spirit, cobalos, Greek, mine) Brandtdiscovered cobalt in about 1735.

Cobalt occurs in the minerals cobaltite, smaltite, and erythrite, and is oftenassociated with nickel , silver , lead, copper , and iron ores, from which it is most frequently obtainedas a by-product. It is also present in meteorites.

Important ore deposits are found in Zaire, Morocco, and Canada. The U.S. GeologicalSurvey has announced that the bottom of the north central Pacific Ocean may havecobalt-rich deposits at relatively shallow depths in water close to the the HawaiianIslands and other U.S. Pacific territories.