Gemstone Pigment Paint-Making Set — Watercolour & Gouache Kit with Genuine Lapis Lazuli, Malachite & Jasper

What makes this paint-making set different

Most “DIY watercolour kits” hand you pre-made tube paint and a few pans. This is the real thing — a true pigment-to-paint set made from genuine gemstones, with every component prepared in-house at De Mairo so we can stand behind the quality from the stone to the pan.

We extract and refine each pigment ourselves, in small batches, from authentic mineral sources. Because nothing is mass-produced or synthetically standardised, every batch carries a slightly different character. That natural shade variation is not a flaw; it is the signature of real stone, ground and refined by hand rather than printed to a formula.

Already refined — no grinding required

This is the part artists tell us they love most. Our pigments are extracted and refined to an ideal particle size before they ever reach you, so you do not need to grind them. There is no mortar, no muller marathon, no dust storm. You simply combine the pigment with the binder and bring them together on the mixing plate; the glass muller does the gentle work of dispersing the colour evenly, not crushing it. A few minutes of mixing and you have smooth, professional-grade paint.

Why there is no glass grinding slab in this set

We deliberately left the heavy glass grinding slab out of the kit, and there is a good reason. Glass slabs are fragile, heavy, and the single most common thing to arrive cracked in shipping. Because our pigments are already refined and need only mixing rather than hard grinding, a slab simply is not necessary here; the muller and the ceramic plate are enough. If you ever want a dedicated surface, a tempered glass offcut or a sheet of frosted glass can be sourced cheaply from any local glazier or hardware shop. We would rather your kit arrive whole.

The five genuine gemstone pigments

Each pigment in this set is made from real, identifiable mineral material — not dyes, not synthetic substitutes, not “stone-effect” colour. Five gemstone pigments that can be used on their own or intermixed to create a far wider range of shades, from soft greens and warm earths to deep, luminous blues.

Small-batch honesty: because these are genuine gemstones refined by hand in small batches, slight variation in shade between batches is natural and expected. You are receiving real gemstone pigment, not a printed colour standard — and that is exactly the point.

The mediums — made in-house, naturally

70 ml gum arabic solution (in-house, vegan) — our binder is made from raw gum arabic sourced from Senegal and prepared into solution by hand in our workshop, formulated specifically for mineral pigments so the colour disperses cleanly and binds well. It is fully vegan; we use no honey or any animal product, and made from natural ingredients only, with no synthetic additives. This is the medium that turns loose pigment into true watercolour paint.

30 g calcium carbonate — for making gouache. Added to your pigment-and-binder mix, calcium carbonate gives that characteristic opaque, matte, velvety gouache finish, so the same set lets you make both transparent watercolours and opaque gouache from the very same pigments.

Who this gemstone paint-making set is for

Professional artists who want genuine mineral colour with full control over consistency, opacity, and binder ratio. Paints you simply cannot buy ready-made, made from stone you can trace to its source.

Beginners and the curious who have always wondered where paint really comes from. Because no grinding is needed, the learning curve is gentle: mix, test, paint. You will be making real paint within minutes of opening the box.

Painters across every medium and tradition where authentic mineral pigment matters, watercolour and gouache artists, botanical painters, egg-tempera and oil painters, illustrators, calligraphers, and manuscript, miniature and icon painters working in living traditions, from tazhīb and Persian miniature to Byzantine and Flemish painting. And because they are pure pigment, acrylic painters can mix them with an acrylic medium to make their own mineral acrylics too.

Holistic and mandala artists for whom the act of making is as meaningful as the finished piece. The slow, mindful ritual of mixing your own colour from real stone sits naturally alongside intentional, meditative painting practice.

Nature lovers, mineral and crystal enthusiasts, and collectors who are drawn to the idea of painting with real lapis lazuli, malachite, and jasper rather than synthetic imitations.

Anyone looking for a meaningful, lasting gift. This is the kind of present that is opened slowly and remembered. It suits a painter, a maker, a teenager discovering art, or anyone who appreciates craft and natural materials, a gift that keeps giving long after the wrapping is gone.

Paint making as therapy — the quiet benefits

There is something this kit gives you that no finished tube of paint ever can: the process.

Making your own paint is slow by nature, and that slowness is the gift. Measuring pigment, adding the binder, working the muller in patient circles until the colour turns smooth and alive. It is a deeply tactile, absorbing ritual. Many artists describe it the way others describe pottery, gardening, or kneading bread: a way to drop out of the noise of the day and into the work of the hands.

Some of the benefits people tell us they find in this kind of mindful paint-making:

• A calming, meditative focus. The rhythm of mixing draws your attention to a single, simple task, a natural form of mindfulness that quiets a busy mind.
• A sense of grounding through the senses. The weight of real stone pigment, the colour shifting under the muller, the earthy scent of natural materials, working with genuine minerals is a grounding, sensory experience.
• The satisfaction of making, not just consuming. Creating your own paint from raw earth and stone restores a connection to materials that ready-made art supplies have largely removed.
• Permission to slow down. This is not a fast hobby, and it is not meant to be. It rewards patience, and offers a gentle antidote to a hurried world.
• Creative play without pressure. Mixing the five pigments to discover new shades is open-ended and forgiving; there is no wrong answer, only colour to explore.

This is not a medical claim, and it is not a substitute for professional support. It is simply the kind of restorative, hands-on craft that so many people reach for to feel calmer, more present, and more themselves. For many, that is therapy enough.

How to use your set (the short version)

• Mask up when handling dry pigment; fine mineral powder should not be inhaled.
• Place a small amount of pigment on the ceramic mixing plate.
• Add a little gum arabic solution and bring them together with the palette knife.
• Work the mixture with the glass muller in slow circles until smooth and evenly dispersed.
• For watercolour, fill a half pan and let it set; for gouache, mix in a little calcium carbonate for an opaque, matte finish.
• Test on your 300 GSM watercolour pad, adjust the binder-to-pigment ratio to taste, and paint.

De Mairo makes every pigment and medium in-house, in small batches, from genuine gemstones. So that whether or not you ever buy from us, you leave knowing exactly what real mineral paint is and how it is made.