Natural Mineral Pigments derived from minerals like azurite, malachite, and cinnabar are crushed and sorted into ten grades, ranging from coarse (No. 5) to fine powders (No.13), with the finest being Byaku which means white.  The coarser particles produce more intense colors, while finer particles yield higher brightness. Mineral pigments are characterized by their sand-like texture, variety of particle sizes, and differences in specific gravity due to raw materials, so each color is mostly used on its own.