For browns, plum purples and metallic bronze effects in glazes, and for darker clay bodies.
You must test before you use it, at any scale. Raw materials, mined or man-made, are not consistent. Color, strength, particle size and chemistry can change from one bag to the next and from one supplier to another, even when the name on the bag stays the same. Before you use this material in a glaze, slip or clay body of any size, mix a small test batch, fire it on your own clay in your own kiln, and check the results.
What it is
A pale pink powder. Manganese gives browns and plum purples in glazes, and at high amounts metallic bronze or black surfaces. It also darkens and speckles clay bodies. The carbonate is the fine-grained form, so it mixes in more evenly than manganese dioxide.
Getting started
- Start at 2 to 4% (2 to 4 grams per 100 grams of dry glaze). Most glazes use 6% or less.
- Glazes high in sodium or potassium push it toward purple; most others give browns.
- Metallic glazes use much more manganese and need extra care. Read the safety notes first.
- Always fire with kiln ventilation.
For glaze formulators
- Manganese carbonate, MnCO₃. Loses about 38% of its weight as gas in firing.
- 1 part MnO₂ ≈ 1.3 parts MnCO₃ for the same manganese.
- Finer than manganese dioxide, so fewer specks. The gas it gives off can cause blistering at higher amounts.
- With iron: browns. With iron and cobalt: blacks.
Safety
- Manganese gives off fumes during firing. Repeated breathing of manganese fumes or dust can damage the nervous system. Vent your kiln to the outside and stay out of the kiln room while it fires.
- Wear a NIOSH-approved respirator (N95 or better) and gloves when handling it dry. Clean up with a wet sponge, not a broom.
- Avoid high-manganese glazes on food surfaces, and have functional ware lab-tested before you sell it.
Sizes & pricing
| Size | Price | Per lb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $42.20 | $42.20 | Add to cart |
| 5 lb | $194.75 | $38.95 | Add to cart |
| 10 lb | $373.50 | $37.35 | Add to cart |
| 25 lb | $892.50 | $35.70 | Add to cart |
| 55 lb bag | $1,784.50 | $32.45 | Add to cart |
Full bags mix and match. Every full bag in your order, of any raw material, adds up. That total sets the price of every bag. Smaller sizes don't count.
This bag's price stays the same at every level, but it still counts toward your full-bag total.
Prices from our October 23, 2026 price list.
Frequently Asked Questions
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