Bismuth was discovered in 1753 and is sometimes confused with tin and lead.

It's a white, crystalline, and brittle metal with a pinkish tinge. The element occurs naturally in the ores bismuthinite (bismuth glance) and bismite. And when it's heated in air, it produces a blue flame and forms yellow fumes.

In water, its soluble salts form insoluble basic salts. Some compounds are used in cosmetics and in medicine.

When combined with manganese, it forms 'Bismanol', a strong permanent magnet. Its alloys are used to make objects subject to damage by high temperatures, including fire detection devices and extinguishing systems.