Here at The Ceramic Shop, we pride ourselves on keeping an up-to-date inventory of Cerdec-Degussa, Mason, and Inclusion stains. Stains come in dry, powdered forms and can be added to glaze, slip, and wash recipes to get bright, vivid colors that might be difficult to achieve with oxides alone.
Cerdec-Degussa stains – Cerdec-Degussa stains are used to achieve difficult reds and yellows in glazes. These colors can be difficult to sustain in glazes because the oxides that create them tend to burn out or alter at high temperatures; however, Cerdec-Degussa stains are micro-encapsulated, which prevents these coloring agents from melting and thus burning out in firing. If you are looking to achieve the perfect bright red or a brilliant sunny yellow, check out our Cerdec-Degussa stains.
Inclusion Stains – Inclusion stains utilize a crystalline structure of zircon to encase otherwise harmful materials to take advantage of their color producing effects. Sometimes called encapsulated stains, because the colorants (many containing cadmium) are encapsulated by the crystal structure of the zirconium silicate, utilizing the stability of this structure to add bright color to cone 6 and even to cone 10. These stains will help you achieve bright reds, oranges, and yellows, even at high-fire temps!
Mason stains – Mason stains are made by Mason Color Works, which is one of the oldest manufacturers of ceramic stains. Mason Colors are powdered pigments made of a combination of oxides and frits that create beautiful uniform rich colors. You can add Mason stains to dry glaze recipes to produce color in an opaque or transparent base glaze. They can also be added to decorating slips, engobes, washes, and even clay to make uniquely colored clay bodies. Mason stains can be mixed with water to create washes that add a splash of color. We recommend adding a small amount of dry ball clay to help the stain adhere better or a frit (try frit 3124) to help the stain melt and give a polished look. Mason stains are blendable and can be used alone or mixed with other mason stains to create custom colors.
