Cernit Sparkling is a range of mica powders made in Belgium by The Clay and Paint Factory. Brushed onto raw clay before baking, or onto a cured surface, they add metallic and pearlescent shimmer — and because mica is directional, the effect shifts as the piece moves in the light.

What to expect: apart from the opaque Metallics, these powders are sheer. They lay a hint of colored shimmer over what is underneath rather than covering it, so the clay you brush them onto matters as much as the powder. The same color reads very differently on white and on black.

About the Duo line: the standout of the Sparkling range. Each color shifts between two tones as the light and angle change — not a dramatic flip, but a subtle, sophisticated shift. Ginger Davis Allman called them lovely and unlike anything else she had seen on the market.

Using them: a soft dry brush and a light touch. Mica powders travel, so work over a sheet of paper and keep separate brushes per color if you can. On raw clay the powder bakes in and stays put; on cured clay it needs sealing, and a water-based varnish will hold it without dulling the shimmer.

Ginger Davis Allman worked through all four sub-lines, on light and dark clay, in her Cernit Sparkling Review at The Blue Bottle Tree.

• Cernit reference: CE6130002004C
• Range: Sparkling Duo
• Color: Artic Fire
• Size: 2g jar