Blue shade Fe-Cr black

A method of making a blue shade black pigment comprising:

• combining from about 40% to about 90% by weight of iron oxide, from about 10% to about 60% by weight of chromium oxide, and from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of manganese oxide to form a mixture;
• heating the mixture to a temperature from about 700° C. to about 1,300° C. for a time from about 1 to about 5 hours;
• and
• optionally agitating the heated mixture to provide blue shade black pigment particles having an average size by volume from about 0.01 microns to about 3 microns.

A plastic composition comprising:

• a plastic material and
• a blue shade black pigment composition comprising
• from about 40% to about 90% by weight of iron oxide;
• from about 10% to about 60% by weight of chromium oxide, the blue shade black pigment composition having a ratio of iron to chromium from about 1.5:1 to about 4:1 by weight;
• and
• from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of manganese oxide,
• wherein the blue shade black pigment composition has an L* value of about 56 or less.