Oxides and hydroxides..ummm, ok one thing to remember, learn the few basic colors of transition metals, like Fe(II)/Fe(iii) brown green stuff.
For example, nickel compounds are green, nickel being a transition metal.
Nickel hydroxide is also green...so u know wat im talking abt rite??
learn the colors of the metal compounds ...
copper - blue
iron - green /brown..etc. check the identification of cations table.