The oxidation state of chromium has been determined at 1600°C in CaO-SiO 2 -CrO x melts with CaO/SiO 2 ratios (mass pct) of 0.66, 0.93, and 1.10, and 0.15 to 3.00 pct Cr 2 O 3 (initial). A few experiments were also carried out with CaO-SiO 2 -Al 2 O 3 -CrO x melts at 1430°C. The slag samples were equilibrated with gas phases of controlled oxygen pressure. Two techniques were applied to determine the oxidation state: thermogravimetry and quenching of the samples with subsequent wet chemical analysis. In the low-oxygen pressure range, the chromium is mainly divalent. In the high-oxygen pressure range, it is trivalent and hexavalent. It was found that the Cr 3+ /Cr 2+ and Cr 6+ /Cr 3+ ratios depend on oxygen pressure at a constant CaO/SiO 2 ratio and a constant content of total chromium, according to the ideal law of mass action. According to the respective chemical reactions, these ratios change proportional to p O 2 1=4 or p O 2 3=4 ; respectively. They also increase with increasing basicity. The data are used to compute the fractions of the different ions in the melt. There is a certain range of oxygen pressure in which all three valence states, Cr 2+ , Cr 3+ , and Cr 6+ , coexist. The color of the solidified slag samples is described and is explained with the help of transmission spectra.