Gemstone Pigment Paint-Making Set — Watercolour & Gouache Kit with Genuine Lapis Lazuli, Malachite & Jasper
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Handmade In Small Batches
Make your own watercolour and gouache paints from real stone.
This complete gemstone pigment paint-making set brings the oldest tradition in painting to your own desk. Five genuine mineral pigments, an in-house vegan gum arabic binder, and every tool you need to turn raw colour into finished paint. No grinding mill, no chemistry, no guesswork.
Unlike most “DIY watercolour kits” that hand you pre-made tube paint, this is the real thing: genuine lapis lazuli, malachite and jasper pigments, extracted and refined in-house at De Mairo. Because we refine them to an ideal particle size before they reach you, there is no grinding required. You mix pigment with binder on the plate, work it with the glass muller, and in minutes you have smooth, professional-grade paint.
The same set makes both transparent watercolour and opaque gouache, and the five pigments intermix into a far wider range of shades, from soft greens and warm earths to deep, luminous blues.
In the box: five genuine gemstone pigments (30 g each), 70 ml vegan gum arabic, calcium carbonate for gouache, glass muller, ceramic mixing plate, palette knife, watercolour brush, 300 GSM pad, tin with 12 half pans, spray bottle, and two safety masks.
Everything in the box
This is a complete paint-making kit — pigments, mediums, tools, and surfaces, ready to use the day it arrives.
• Lapis Lazuli Fra Angelico pigment — 30 g
• Malachite pigment (genuine African malachite) — 30 g
• Canyon Red pigment (genuine jasper) — 30 g
• Yellow Gold pigment (genuine jasper) — 30 g
• Green Jasper pigment (genuine Madagascar jasper) — 30 g
• In-house gum arabic solution (vegan) — 70 ml
• Calcium carbonate for gouache — 30 g
• Glass muller for mixing and dispersing pigment
• Palette knife
• Watercolour brush
• Ceramic paint mixing plate
• Watercolour pad, 4 × 6 in, 300 GSM
• Watercolour tin box with 12 empty half pans
• Small water spray bottle
• A pair of safety face masks
Scroll down to watch it being made and explore each pigment, medium and use in detail.
No harmful synthetic additives
From mineral sources
Used by professional artists worldwide
If unused — see policy
Clear customs documentation provided
Watch: From Stone to Colour
A short film of the set in use — pigment, binder, muller, and the first strokes of real mineral paint.
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
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 frosted glass sheet 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.
Lapis Lazuli Fra Angelico
30 gGenuine lapis lazuli blue, refined from real lazurite-bearing stone. Named in the tradition of the Renaissance friar-painter who used true ultramarine for the robes of his angels. Soft, deep, and unmistakably mineral.
Malachite Green
30 gRefined from authentic African malachite. A cool, mineral green with the quiet depth that only real copper-carbonate stone can give—the same green found in historical illuminated manuscripts across centuries.
Canyon Red
30 gA warm, earthy red extracted from genuine jasper. Grounded and natural, it behaves like the iron-rich earth reds artists have reached for since the very first cave murals.
Yellow Gold
30 gA soft, golden yellow from genuine jasper. Warm and lightfast, it sits beautifully between an ochre and a true yellow, bringing soft warmth to every mix it touches.
Green Jasper
30 gExtracted from genuine jasper sourced in Madagascar. Earthier and more muted than malachite, it gives landscape and botanical paintings a grounded, living quality.
The Mediums — Made In-House, Naturally
Gum Arabic Solution (In-House, Vegan)
Sourced from raw gum arabic in Senegal and prepared into solution by hand in our workshop. Formulated specifically for mineral pigments so the colour disperses cleanly and binds well. Fully vegan (no honey or animal products) with no synthetic additives. This is the medium that turns loose pigment into true watercolour paint.
Calcium Carbonate (Gouache Modifier)
Used to make gouache. When added to your pigment-and-binder mix, calcium carbonate produces that characteristic opaque, matte, velvety gouache finish. This allows the very same set to create both transparent watercolours and opaque gouache.
Who This Gemstone Paint-Making Set Is For
Professional Artists
Seeking genuine mineral colour with full control over consistency, opacity, and binder ratio. Unique paints made from stone you can trace directly to its source.
Beginners & The Curious
Anyone who has wondered where paint really comes from. With no grinding required, the learning curve is gentle: mix, test, paint within minutes of opening the box.
Traditional & Manuscript Painters
Watercolourists, botanical artists, calligraphers, iconographers, egg-tempera painters, and miniature artists working in traditions like tazhīb. Acrylic painters can also mix with acrylic mediums.
Holistic & Mandala Artists
Painters for whom the act of making is as meaningful as the finished artwork. The mindful ritual of preparing stone colour sits naturally alongside intentional art practice.
Nature & Crystal Enthusiasts
Mineral collectors and lovers of natural materials who are drawn to painting with real lapis lazuli, malachite, and jasper rather than synthetic imitations.
A Meaningful, Lasting Gift
A memorable present suited for painters, makers, or teenagers discovering fine art. A tactile gift of craft 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 binder, and working the muller in patient circles until the colour turns smooth and alive is a deeply tactile, absorbing ritual—a way to drop out of the noise of the day and into the work of the hands.
This is not a medical claim or a substitute for professional support. It is simply the restorative, hands-on craft that so many reach for to feel calmer, more present, and more themselves.
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 finish.
Test on your 300 GSM watercolour pad, adjust the binder 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.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to grind these pigments?
No. Our pigments are already extracted and refined to an ideal particle size, so they do not require grinding. You only need to mix them properly with the binder; the glass muller disperses the colour smoothly in a few minutes.
Why isn’t a glass grinding slab included?
Because the pigments are pre-refined, hard grinding is not needed, and a glass slab is the component most likely to break in shipping. We left it out so your kit arrives
intact. If you want a dedicated grinding surface, a piece of tempered or frosted glass can be sourced inexpensively from any local glazier or hardware shop.
Are these really made from genuine gemstones?
Yes. All five pigments are extracted and refined in-house from authentic mineral sources. Real lapis lazuli, genuine African malachite, and genuine jasper, including
Madagascar green jasper. These are true mineral pigments, not dyes or synthetic
imitations.
Is the set suitable for complete beginners?
Absolutely. Because no grinding is required, the process is simple and forgiving, mix,
test, paint. Everything you need is in the box, and you will be making real
paint within minutes.
Is it good enough for professional artists?
Yes. Professionals choose this set precisely because genuine mineral pigments at this quality cannot be bought ready-made, and because making your own paint gives full control over opacity, consistency, and binder ratio.
Can I make both watercolour and gouache?
Yes. Mix pigment with the gum arabic solution for transparent watercolour; add calcium carbonate to the same mix for opaque, matte gouache. One set, two media.
Is the gum arabic solution vegan?
Yes. It is fully vegan. We use no honey or any animal product. It is made in-house from raw gum arabic sourced from Senegal,
using natural ingredients only, with no synthetic additives.
Why does the colour vary between batches?
Because these are genuine gemstones refined by hand in small batches, slight shade variation is natural and expected. You are receiving real stone, not a printed colour
standard, the variation is the proof of authenticity.
Can the pigments be mixed together?
Yes. The five pigments can be intermixed to create a much wider range of shades, soft
greens, warm earths, and deep blues, so the set is far more versatile than five colours alone.