About greens…I’m going to start with this: there are still greens I have yet to achieve. Saturated, intense greens seem to be quite illusive. While I have several greens I love and adore, I still have not been able to achieve that quintessential “Kelly” Green color in my clay. I think I will get it one day, but it is going to take a blend of 3 different stains… On top of that a lot of (or most) green Mason stains can turn out gray or brown in clay bodies or slips. This is frustrating! I’ve been working through this green conundrum for many years.

Why do many Green Mason Stains not work well in clay/slip?

Many green stains use chrome oxide (Cr₂O₃) as their primary colorant. Chrome is very sensitive to other elements in the clay or glaze — particularly zinc, calcium, boron, and barium. These can cause unwanted chemical reactions that dull or shift the green to gray, brown, or even pink. That’s why a good rule of thumb is to stick to chrome-free greens in your clay body/slip.

How can I tell if a green stain is Chrome-Based?

You can find the MSDS sheet of any stain on Mason Color Works Website: https://www.masoncolor.com/ceramic-stains. On the first page, the Product Identifier will read as such:

1.1 Product identifier

Product name

VICTORIA GREEN GARNET

Victoria Green Garnet, an inorganic pigment, is a reaction product of high temperature calcination in which Calcium (II) Oxide, Chromium (III) Oxide , and Silicon (IV) Oxide in varying amounts are homogeneously and ionically interdiffused to form a crystalline matrix of garnet.

So there you have it: Victoria Green 6204 has Chrome Oxide as part of its composition. In my own experience, using this stain, I’ve gotten a beautiful, leaf green color in glaze but unfortunately it turns gray in my clay.

Blending Yellow & Blue

Many materials in ceramics don’t blend as expected. However, this is not the case for stains. I’ve found that 9 out of 10 times, you can blend and achieve colors in the same way you can mix acrylic paint. However in true “ceramic fashion” there is still a bit of mystery around the final color until a test comes out of the kiln. But that is what we all love, right!?

Blending Yellows and Blues is a sure fire way to get green.

Try mixing Zirconium Vanadium 6315 with Praseodymium 6450. Together, they make a bold, punchy lime green.

Play around with the ratio of blue to yellow to shift the hue.
More 6315 = cooler, more minty green
More 6450 = warmer, more electric

You can also mix Vivid Blue 6306 with Praseodymium 6450 for a more muted, earthy green. In my opinion, this blue offers a softer, more natural green. Add a little Best Black 6600 to any mix to tone down the saturation and deepen the color.

Always test small batches first and keep notes on your ratios — even 1–2% can make a big difference. Have fun mixing and see where it takes you!

My Go-To Green Stains

I completely understand that you many not want to bother with blending. In that case, these are the four green (or greenish) stains that work well in my clay body.

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