Chromium, the element, gives us colour and shine – and helped Julia Roberts win an Oscar in 2000 for the movie Erin Brockovich.

Chromium is the red in rubies, the green in emeralds and the pink in sapphires.

It is the shine on your car fender and your stainless steel kitchen bench.

As hexavalent chromium it is widely used to tan leather – but it is also very carcinogenic.

The story of chromium the transition metal (Cr, number 24) with Professor Allan Blackman from AUT.

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The Elemental podcast is celebrating 150 years since the periodic table was first published by Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev.

Find out more about events during the United Nation’s International Year of the Periodic Table.

Nights with Bryan Crump is also celebrating the chemical elements during their Friday night Sonic Tonic and Element of the Week.

Professor Allan Blackman is at Auckland University of Technology.