Is this genuine Lapis Lazuli or just a synthetic ultramarine blue?

This is 100% genuine Lapis Lazuli — not synthetic, not a dye, not a chemical ultramarine. Most brands on the market use the name "Lapis Lazuli" to describe a colour, not an ingredient. De Mairo pigments are made from real Afghan Lapis Lazuli stone sourced from the Sar-e-Sang mines in Badakhshan — the same source used by Renaissance masters for centuries. Every batch comes with a signed certificate of authenticity and a unique serial number so you always know exactly what you are buying.

Do I need to mull or grind the pigment before using it?

De Mairo pigments are finely processed and ready to use straight from the jar, no grinding required. Unlike most natural pigments that demand significant mulling before they become workable, ours are already refined to the particle size needed for watercolor, gouache, oil paint, and egg tempera. That said, a brief light mulling is always recommended before use as it helps disperse the pigment more evenly into your binder, giving you a smoother, more consistent paint. If you don't have a muller, simply use a palette knife to thoroughly mix the pigment with your medium — working it back and forth until fully combined and flowing smoothly. Think of it less as a necessity and more as a best practice that any serious artist will appreciate.

What makes De Mairo different from other Lapis Lazuli pigments on the market?

De Mairo supplies genuine Lapis Lazuli pigment to some of the world's leading art material brands — so in many cases, we are the source behind the product. Our pigments contain approximately 80% pure pigment to 20% medium, which is an exceptionally high ratio that delivers unmatched colour strength and vibrancy. We were featured by Business Insider as the manufacturer of the world's most expensive pigment. There is simply no comparable product at this level of purity and quality available directly to artists.

What mediums can I use De Mairo pigments with?

De Mairo pigments work beautifully across all traditional and contemporary mediums — watercolor, gouache, oil paint, egg tempera, fresco, acrylics, and encaustic. They are the pigment of choice for icon painters, miniaturists, conservators, and fine artists working in historical techniques. Because the pigment is so finely ground and highly concentrated, a small amount goes a long way in every medium.

What comes with my order?

Every De Mairo order arrives in luxury packaging and includes a signed letter of authenticity sealed with a date, a unique batch serial number, and a beautifully produced 120 pages booklet documenting the full history of Lapis Lazuli — including the artists and museum collections that have used this pigment throughout history. It is not just a paint order. It is a complete collector's experience.

Are De Mairo pigments lightfast and archival?

Yes. Genuine Lapis Lazuli is one of the most stable pigments in art history. Its colour has survived over 600 years in Renaissance frescoes, manuscripts, and panel paintings without fading or shifting. De Mairo pigments carry an ASTM I lightfastness rating the highest possible, making them fully archival and suitable for museum-quality work.

Why are genuine Lapis Lazuli pigments more expensive than synthetic alternatives?

Genuine Lapis Lazuli is a semi-precious gemstone mined in Afghanistan. The process of extracting pure Lazurite from the raw stone involves careful hand-selection, multiple rounds of traditional processes and purification, and extensive quality testing, all done by hand. No machine replicates this process at the quality level we demand. The result is a pigment of extraordinary purity, depth, and luminosity that no synthetic ultramarine can match. When you buy De Mairo, you are buying the real thing.

What mediums and binders do you use in your paints?

We use only pure, natural binders, nothing else. Our oil paints are made with either linseed oil or walnut oil, and our watercolors and gouache are made with vegan gum arabic solution. There are no fillers, extenders, dyes, or synthetic additives of any kind. What you get in every tube is pure genuine Lapis Lazuli pigment bound with a single natural binder. That is it. Nothing hidden, nothing added.

How much pigment is actually in a De Mairo paint tube?

A standard De Mairo 15ml tube weighs 24 grams — of which 18 grams is pure Lapis Lazuli pigment and just 6 grams is natural binder. That is a 75% pigment load, which is exceptionally high by any professional standard. Most commercial artist paints contain significantly more binder, filler, and additives than pigment. With De Mairo, you are getting predominantly pigment in every tube, which is why the colour strength, vibrancy, and coverage are unlike anything you will find from conventional paint manufacturers.

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Genuine Lapis Lazuli Oil Paint Set, Sar-e-Sang Blue Collection, 3 Handmade Artist Colours

Name: Genuine Lapis Lazuli Oil Paint Set, Sar-e-Sang Blue Collection, 3 Handmade Artist Colours
Brand: DeMairoColours
SKU: 4457769042
Price: 110.61 EUR
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5.0 (13 reviews)

DeMairoColours

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Highlights

Supplies for making crafts
Materials: Paint base: Oil

Genuine Lapis Lazuli Oil Paint Set handmade in Canada from natural gemstone pigment sourced from the historic Sar-e-Sang region of Badakhshan. This 3-colour artist oil paint collection includes Azure Blue, Midnight Blue, and Charcoal Blue, offering a natural ultramarine spectrum for professional painting, glazing, and historical palettes.

What’s included: 3 × 15ml oil paint tubes
Colours: Azure Blue, Midnight Blue, Charcoal Blue
Binder: Linseed and Walnut Oil
Pigment: genuine Afghan Lapis Lazuli
Made in: Canada
Best for: oil painting, glazing, historical palettes, collectors, professional artists

The Sar-e-Sang Blue Collection is a three-shade luxury oil paint set made exclusively from genuine Lapis Lazuli gemstone pigment, sourced from the historic Sar-e-Sang region of Badakhshan. For over 6,500 years, this legendary source has supplied the world’s most precious blue, shaping the history of art from ancient civilizations to Renaissance masterpieces.

This collection presents three blue oil paints, each refined from the same Lapis Lazuli stone. The differences in colour are created by separating and processing distinct mineral compositions within the stone, including varying proportions of lazurite, calcite, and pyrite. No dyes, synthetic pigments, or chemical alterations are used. Each shade is revealed through careful refinement, not modification.

Every paint in this set is hand-processed, traditionally refined, and slow-milled with artist-grade oil to preserve luminosity, depth, and archival performance. The result is a true gemstone oil paint collection designed for professional artists, conservators, and collectors who value authenticity and historical accuracy.

What Makes This Collection Unique
All colours in this collection are made from 100 percent genuine Lapis Lazuli gemstone pigment
Natural variations in blue are achieved through different lazurite concentrations within the stone
No synthetic ultramarine or modern colorants are used
Hand-refined and small-batch milled for maximum purity
Archival, lightfast, and suitable for professional oil painting
Crafted in limited quantities to preserve quality and consistency

Included Colours:
Azure Blue Oil Paint
A luminous and radiant ultramarine tone made from high-grade Lapis Lazuli with a high concentration of lazurite. This colour reflects clarity, openness, and celestial depth, historically reserved for the most sacred and significant elements of a painting.

Estimated Content:

Lazurite: 60%
Calcite: 20%
Pyrite: 20%

Midnight Blue Oil Paint
A deep, powerful blue achieved entirely through gemstone refinement. This shade offers rich intensity and depth while preserving the soft mineral character unique to natural ultramarine.

Estimated Content:

Lazurite: 60%
Calcite: 10%
Pyrite: 30%

Charcoal Blue Oil Paint
A moody, atmospheric blue formed from Lapis Lazuli with darker mineral inclusions. This colour offers depth, shadow, and tonal complexity, making it ideal for underpainting, transitions, and dramatic compositions.

Estimated Content:

Lazurite: 30%
Calcite: 20%
Pyrite: 50%

Why These Blues Exist Naturally
Lapis Lazuli is a complex gemstone composed primarily of lazurite, calcite, and trace minerals. The natural distribution of these components varies from stone to stone. By carefully separating and refining different grades of the same gemstone, we are able to reveal multiple authentic blues that have existed within Lapis Lazuli for centuries.

This collection does not invent new colours. It reveals what is already present within the stone.

Batch Information
Collection Name: Sar-e-Sang Blue Collection
Batch Number: 1222
Pigment Source: Genuine Afghan Lapis Lazuli
Medium: Artist-grade oil
Production Method: Small-batch, hand-refined, slow-milled

Suggested Use
Professional oil painting
Glazing and layered techniques
Classical and contemporary fine art
Restoration and conservation work
Artists seeking true natural ultramarine alternatives

Order today to get by 18-19 Aug
Returns & exchanges accepted within 30 days
Heads up: this item may be subject to new EU custom fees.
Postage: €21.73
Sent from: Canada

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