Natural Mineral Pigments

・Types of mineral pigments

・Natural mineral pigments : made from crushed natural minerals, there are many types such as "azurite" and "malachite", but there are also high-quality materials that are expensive and rare. The finer the particles, the whiter the paint becomes. Some colors can be made darker by adding heat.

・Shin-iwa-enogu : Developed in response to the decline in natural ores. Like cloisonné frit, it is produced by mixing glass with metal compounds and firing it, and then finished in the same way as natural iwa-enogu.
Resistant to light and chemical changes. (Nakagawa Kofun "Phoenix" - Auspicious)

・Synthetic mineral pigments: These are made by coating calcite or quartz powder with pigments. The specific gravity of each color is almost the same, so they can be mixed. (Holbein's "Yusai")
*The size of the particles is expressed by the number (from approximately No. 5 to No. 13 and white), and the higher the number, the finer the particles and the lighter the color.
*Due to the different specific gravities of mineral pigments, they will separate when mixed. The greatest feature of "Yusai" is that it does not separate easily when mixed with the same pigment.

Types of rock paints

Natural rock paints: Azurite, peacock stone, and many others are made from crushed natural ores. The finer the particles, the whiter the color. Some colors can be darkened by adding heat.

New rock paints: Developed in response to the decrease in the number of natural gemstones. It is produced by mixing a metallic compound with glass and firing it, similar to cloisonne enamel frit, and then finishing it using the same process as natural mineral pigments.
It is resistant to light and chemical changes. (Nakagawa Gohon “Phoenix”, Kissho)

Synthetic pigments are made by coating calcite or quartz powder with pigments. Specific gravity is almost the same for each color, so it is possible to mix colors. (Holbein “Yusai”) *Synthetic rock paints are made by coating calcite or quartz powder with pigments.
The size of the particles is expressed by the number (from No. 5 to No. 13 and white), and the higher the number, the finer and paler the color.
The higher the number, the finer and paler the color. The greatest feature of “Yusai” is that when the same number of colors are mixed, they do not separate easily.

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