This article provides an overview on the chemistry of cadmium. Cadmium is a naturally occurring metal elements, being the 67th most abundant element in the earth's crust, and it is found in several minerals. Occurrence, production and applications have been surveyed, also in the light of toxicological and environmental risks joined to uses of cadmium. The usual oxidation state of cadmium is 2+ and its chemistry closely resembles that of zinc. The versatile coordination ability allows a wide variety of structure. Therefore, emphasis is placed on stereochemical aspects of cadmium chemistry, in particular on 1D, 2D, and 3D architectures resulting from assembly of Cd
2+
–ligand(s) units. The main compounds and complexes, ordered by metal oxidation state and ligand donor atom, have been examined in their properties and structural aspects, both in solution and in solid state.