unrefined 10ml powdered beachcombed slate.

Powdered Thames Estuary Slate – Tidal Artefact Pigment & Spell Ingredient – 10ml Glass Vial

Crushed and powdered beachcombed slate collected from the historic Thames Estuary – a finely layered pigment forged by ancient pressure and reshaped by centuries of industrial use and tidal wear. Once quarried and laid into rooftops, docks, or ships, these slate fragments now return through river alchemy – broken down, wave-worn, and steeped in London’s urban tide.

Each piece is foraged along the Thames foreshore, a place where human history meets geological time. This slate carries not just the story of ancient seabeds but echoes of Victorian industry, maritime trade, and city sprawl. With a subtle sheen and cool grey-blue tones, this pigment is perfect for those seeking a deep connection to Earth, structure, and time.

🪨 Scientific & Historical Background

Material: Metamorphic rock – slate (originally shale or mudstone)
Composition: Quartz, muscovite, chlorite, and feldspar – with mica sparkle
Formation: Formed under low-grade metamorphic conditions over millions of years
Likely Origins: Welsh or Cornish slate repurposed into London construction or shipping
Location: Thames Estuary Foreshore – hand-collected and responsibly foraged
The slate that lines the foreshore was likely once part of rooftops, barge linings, or Victorian structures now lost to time. It may also include ship ballast slate discarded from centuries of global maritime trade.

🎨 Creative & Spiritual Uses
Natural Pigment:

Soft charcoal grey with cool undertones – ideal for muted, stormy palettes
Add to handmade inks, paints, or encaustic works for a grounded feel
Craft & Inlay:

Use in jewellery, woodworking inlays, or mixed media for coastal and architectural textures
Pairs well with bone, copper, or iron for London-themed or ancestral pieces
Ritual & Spiritual Use:

Structure & Stability: Ideal for grounding, focus, and clarity
Ancestral Connection: Tied to working-class London, shipbuilders, and forgotten labour
Elemental Affinity: Earth + Water – grounding with intuitive depth
Memory & Lineage: Supports work around legacy, foundations, and past lives
🌊 Responsibly Foraged & Hand-Processed

Gathered only during ethical foreshore walks and low-tide events
Hand-washed, air-dried, and ground with a traditional pestle and mortar
No artificial colours or binders – just pure reclaimed slate
📦 You Will Receive:

One 10ml corked glass vial of powdered Thames Estuary slate
Texture: Silky-fine to slightly gritty depending on batch
Colour: Slate grey with bluish and silvery mica tones
⚠️ Please Note:

Not food-safe or suitable for cosmetic use
Wear a mask when mixing powders dry
As a reclaimed material, trace urban particulates may remain
Store sealed and dry for best longevity
A pigment shaped by the sea, industry, and time — this beachcombed slate offers creators and practitioners a connection to Earth’s layered history and the endurance of human hands.