Peter Jacob Hjelm

Peter Jacob Hjelm ( born October 2, 1746 Sunnerbo Härad, Småland, † October 7, 1813 in Stockholm) was a Swedish chemist and mineralogist.

Hjelm started in 1763 to study chemistry at Uppsala University and received his doctorate there. In 1774 he was appointed as Professor in the Stockholm Mountain College. Since 1782 he was head of the Royal Swedish coin. Two years later he became head of the Swedish Academy of Sciences. In 1794 he became head of the Chemical Laboratory of the Mining Ministry.

In 1781 or 1782 his discovery of the element molybdenum succeeded.