The fine-grained form of nickel, for even grays, browns and muted colors without specks.
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 light green powder. It gives the same quiet colors as nickel oxide (grays, tans, browns, olive greens) but its finer grain mixes in more evenly. In high-zinc glazes it can give blues or purples.
Getting started
- Start at 1% (1 gram per 100 grams of dry glaze) and test.
- If your recipe uses nickel oxide, carbonate is weaker by weight. Start with about 1.5 times as much and adjust after testing.
- Fire test tiles first: nickel colors shift a lot with the base glaze and firing.
For glaze formulators
- Nickel carbonate (often a basic carbonate). Converts to NiO in firing, losing a large share of its weight as gas.
- Finer than either nickel oxide, so better dispersion and fewer specks. The gas it releases can add to pinholing in thick coats.
- Same base effects as nickel oxide.
Safety
- Nickel compounds may cause cancer if inhaled and often cause skin allergies. Wear a NIOSH-approved respirator (N95 or better) and gloves when handling it dry. Clean up with a wet sponge, not a broom.
- Avoid nickel glazes on food surfaces unless the finished glaze has been lab-tested.
- Shipping: we can't ship nickel carbonate by UPS or USPS.
Sizes & pricing
| Size | Price | Per lb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $32.80 | $32.80 | Add to cart |
| 5 lb | $156.25 | $31.25 | Add to cart |
| 10 lb | $297.00 | $29.70 | Add to cart |
| 25 lb | $702.50 | $28.10 | Add to cart |
| 50 lb bag | $1,171.00 | $23.42 | 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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