Indium

Indium was discovered in 1863 by Ferdinand Reich and Hieronymus Theodor Richter, who identified it by the brilliant indigo-blue spectral line it produced — that is where the name 'indium' comes from. Reich was color-blind, so he relied on Richter to observe the characteristic color. Indium is a very soft, silvery metal that you can bend with your hands and that makes a high-pitched 'crying' sound when bent.

Indium's most important modern use is in indium tin oxide (ITO), a transparent conductor that coats the touchscreens of smartphones, tablets, and laptop displays. Without indium, your touchscreen would not work! Indium is also used in solar cells and as a solder in electronics. It is relatively rare, and most of the world's indium comes as a byproduct of zinc mining.

Indium's symbol 'In' is one of the most useful two-letter elements in Spellement. It directly matches the common English word 'in,' and it appears at the start of words like 'into,' 'inside,' and 'incredible,' making it a natural champion for element-based spelling.