The name thiozone was invented by Hugo Erdmann in 1908 who hypothesized that S3 comprises a large proportion of liquid sulfur.

[5] S3 can also be generated by photolysis of S3Cl2 embedded in a glass or matrix of solid noble gas.

Formation of compounds with a defined number of sulfur atoms is possible: Although S3 is elusive under ordinary conditions, the intensely blue radical anion S−3 is abundant.

The gemstone lapis lazuli and the mineral lazurite (from which the pigment ultramarine is derived) contain S−3.

[10] The blue colour is due to the C2A2 transition to the X2B1 electronic state in the ion,[9] causing a strong absorption band at 610–620 nm or 2.07 eV (in the orange region of the visible spectrum).

[13] Lithium hexasulfide (which contains S−6, another polysulfide radical anion) with tetramethylenediamine solvation dissociates acetone and related donor solvents to S−3.

The material is strongly blue-coloured when dry and changes colour to green and yellow in the presence of trace amounts of water.

[16] Other methods of production of S−3 include reacting sulfur with partially hydroxylated magnesium oxide at 400 °C.