How to Paint Gemstones on Miniatures

Paint gemstones using the same technique as lenses — dark at the top, light at the bottom, with a tiny white reflection dot in the darkest area. This inverted highlight creates the illusion of a refractive, translucent gem.

Gemstones appear on Warhammer miniatures constantly — spirit stones on Aeldari armour, power gems on Space Marine weapons, jewels on chaos champions’ trophies, and decorative gems on countless characters across every faction. A well-painted gemstone adds an incredible focal point to any miniature, drawing the eye and adding visual interest far beyond its tiny size. The good news is that painting convincing gemstones is much simpler than it looks.

This guide covers the technique from beginner-friendly basics to advanced methods, including how to paint different gem colours and how to adapt the technique for different shapes and sizes.

Why Do Gemstones Use Inverted Highlights?

Before diving into the technique, it is important to understand why gemstones are painted differently from every other surface on a miniature.

On a normal opaque surface — metal, cloth, skin — light hits the top of the object, so the highlight goes on top and the shadow goes underneath. This is standard non-metallic painting. But gemstones are translucent. Light enters the gem from above, passes through the stone, and is refracted toward the bottom. This means the brightest point on a gemstone is actually at the bottom, where the light has been concentrated by the gem’s curved surface.

Meanwhile, the top of the gem — where you would normally place a highlight — is darker because the light is passing through the stone rather than bouncing off it. However, there is one exception: a tiny reflection of the light source on the gem’s surface, which appears as a bright white dot in the dark upper area.

This combination — dark on top, light on the bottom, and a white reflection dot — is what creates the illusion of a translucent, refractive gemstone. It is simple physics translated into a painting technique, and once you understand the principle, you will never forget it.

How to Paint a Red Gemstone — Step by Step

Red is the most common gemstone colour in Warhammer (Aeldari spirit stones, power gems, decorative rubies), so this is the recipe you will use most often.

Step 1 — Basecoat with Khorne Red. Paint the entire gemstone surface with Khorne Red. This dark red will serve as the colour of the upper (darkest) portion of the gem. Make sure the coverage is smooth and even — gemstones are smooth surfaces, so any texture or brush marks will be visible.

Step 2 — Paint the lower half with Evil Sunz Scarlet. Paint the lower half of the gemstone (the bottom half, furthest from the “sky”) with Evil Sunz Scarlet. The boundary between the two colours should be roughly at the midpoint of the gem. Do not worry about making a perfectly sharp transition — a slight blend between the two is fine.

Step 3 — Paint the lower quarter with Wild Rider Red. Apply Wild Rider Red to the lower quarter of the gemstone, creating a gradient that grows lighter as it approaches the bottom. This further concentrates the light at the bottom of the gem.

Step 4 — Add a small dot of Fire Dragon Bright or Troll Slayer Orange. At the very bottom of the gem — the lowest point — apply a small spot of bright orange. This is the brightest point of the refracted light and should be the most intense colour on the gem.

Step 5 — Add the white reflection dot. This is the step that makes the gemstone look real. Place a tiny dot of pure white (White Scar) in the upper area of the gem — the dark zone. This dot represents the reflection of the light source on the gem’s surface. It should be small, precise, and placed off-centre (usually upper-left or upper-right). The position of this dot relative to the bright bottom area is what creates the illusion of depth and translucency.

Step 6 (optional) — Gloss varnish. Apply a coat of Ardcoat or another gloss varnish to the finished gemstone. The glossy finish enhances the illusion of a smooth, polished stone and makes the highlights pop even more. If you are using a matte varnish on the rest of the model, apply it first, then go back and add gloss varnish to the gemstones only.

How to Paint a Green Gemstone

Green gems appear on Necron resurrection orbs, Ork teef jewelry, Dark Angels iconography, and various other models. The technique is identical to red; only the colours change.

Step 1 — Basecoat with Caliban Green. This dark green covers the entire gem.

Step 2 — Lower half with Warpstone Glow. The brighter green takes over the bottom half.

Step 3 — Lower quarter with Moot Green. Concentrate the bright green in the lowest quarter.

Step 4 — Dot of Yriel Yellow or Flash Gitz Yellow. A tiny dot of yellow at the very bottom represents the concentrated refracted light. Green light, when concentrated, shifts toward yellow, so this colour transition looks natural.

Step 5 — White reflection dot in the upper dark area.

Step 6 (optional) — Gloss varnish.

How to Paint a Blue Gemstone

Blue gemstones appear frequently on Thousand Sons, Tzeentch models, and various characters.

Step 1 — Basecoat with Kantor Blue.

Step 2 — Lower half with Caledor Sky.

Step 3 — Lower quarter with Teclis Blue.

Step 4 — Dot of Baharroth Blue or Lothern Blue at the bottom.

Step 5 — White reflection dot.

Step 6 (optional) — Gloss varnish.

How to Paint Gemstones with Technical Paints

Games Workshop’s Gemstone technical paints (Spiritstone Red, Waystone Green, Soulstone Blue) offer a much faster alternative to the layered technique described above. These paints are transparent and create a gemstone effect over a metallic base in a single coat.

Step 1 — Basecoat the gem with Stormhost Silver or Retributor Armour. The metallic undercoat is essential — the technical paints are designed to work over metallics, and they will not produce the same effect over non-metallic bases.

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Step 2 — Apply the technical paint. Apply a single coat of the appropriate Gemstone technical paint. The paint is transparent, so the metallic undercoat shows through, creating a glossy, jewel-like effect automatically. The paint will naturally pool slightly in recesses and thin out on raised areas, creating a basic highlight/shadow effect.

Step 3 (optional) — Add a white reflection dot. Even with the technical paint, adding a tiny white dot in the upper area of the gem dramatically improves the effect. The technical paint creates a good baseline, and the reflection dot takes it from good to great.

The technical paint method is perfect for batch-painting — you can do an entire Aeldari army’s spirit stones in a fraction of the time the layered method would take. The results are not quite as refined as the full layered technique, but they are more than good enough for tabletop quality.

How to Paint Different Gem Shapes

Not all gemstones on miniatures are round. Some are oval, tear-shaped, or even faceted. The basic principle remains the same — dark on top, light on bottom, white reflection dot — but the shape affects how you apply it.

Round gems use the standard technique as described above. The gradient runs from top to bottom, and the reflection dot is placed in the upper portion.

Oval gems are painted the same way as round gems, with the gradient running along the gem’s long axis (usually top to bottom). The reflection dot should be placed closer to one end of the oval rather than dead centre.

Teardrop gems should have the lightest point at the narrow end (the “tail” of the teardrop) and the darkest point at the wide end. The reflection dot goes in the dark wide end.

Faceted gems are more complex. Each facet should show its own micro-gradient, with the overall pattern still following the dark-top/light-bottom principle. This is advanced work, but on larger gems, painting individual facets can produce stunning results.

Eye-shaped or lozenge gems (common on Aeldari models) should have the gradient run from the outer edges (dark) to the centre-bottom (light). The reflection dot goes near the top edge of the lozenge.

How to Paint Glowing or Magical Gems

Some gemstones in Warhammer lore are not just decorative — they are magical or contain trapped energy. Spirit stones contain Aeldari souls, resurrection orbs pulse with Necron technology, and warpstone gems glow with Chaos energy. For these gems, you can add an additional glowing effect.

After completing the standard gemstone technique, apply a thin glaze of the gem’s brightest colour to the area immediately surrounding the gem. This “object source lighting” (OSL) effect suggests that the gem is casting light onto the adjacent surfaces. The glow should be subtle — a thin ring of colour 1-2mm wide around the gem is usually sufficient.

For a more intense glow, you can also add a second, narrower ring of an even brighter colour closer to the gem. On a red gem, this might be a ring of Evil Sunz Scarlet followed by a narrower ring of Fire Dragon Bright. The layered glow creates a more convincing light-emission effect.

Common Mistakes When Painting Gemstones

Putting the highlight on top. The most common mistake is treating a gemstone like any other surface and placing the highlight on the top. This creates a bead or button effect rather than a gemstone effect. Always remember: dark on top, light on the bottom.

Making the reflection dot too big. The white reflection dot should be tiny — no larger than a pinhead on a 28mm miniature. A dot that is too big will look like a cartoon sparkle rather than a realistic light reflection. Less is more.

Forgetting the reflection dot entirely. The white dot is what sells the illusion. Without it, you just have a colour gradient that could be anything. The dot is what makes the viewer’s brain interpret the shape as a translucent, reflective gemstone.

Placing the reflection dot in the wrong position. The white dot should be in the dark upper portion of the gem, not in the bright lower portion. It should also be off-centre — slightly to one side rather than dead centre. This asymmetry looks more natural and convincing.

Not using gloss varnish. A gemstone should look smooth and polished, not matte and chalky. If you are using matte varnish on your models (as most painters do), always go back and apply gloss varnish to the gemstones. The difference is dramatic.

How to Paint Gemstones on Aeldari Spirit Stones

Aeldari spirit stones deserve special mention because they are the most common gemstone in Warhammer 40k and because they carry specific lore significance. A spirit stone contains the soul of an Aeldari who has died — it is a receptacle that prevents the soul from being consumed by Slaanesh.

Lore-wise, spirit stones are typically depicted as red, but you can paint them any colour. Some painters use different colours to indicate the status of the stone — red for active stones containing a soul, green for unused stones awaiting a bearer, and blue for stones connected to a Wraith construct.

On an Aeldari army, consistency is key. Pick one colour for your spirit stones and use it across the entire army. This creates a strong visual identity and ties the army together. The spirit stone colour can also be used as a spot colour on other elements — weapon gems, vehicle lenses, and decorative elements — to create a unified colour scheme.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use this technique on lenses and visors?

Yes, the technique is identical for lenses, visors, camera eyes, and any other transparent or reflective element. Space Marine eye lenses, vehicle headlights, and camera sensors all use the same dark-top/light-bottom/reflection-dot approach. The only difference is shape — lenses are often rectangular or slit-shaped rather than round.

How do I paint very small gemstones?

For gemstones smaller than 2mm, simplify the technique. Use just two colours — the dark colour on the top half and the bright colour on the bottom half — plus the white reflection dot. At very small scales, the gradient is unnecessary because the gem is too small for the viewer to see the transition.

What brush size should I use for gemstones?

Use the smallest brush you have with a good point — typically a size 0 or 00. The key is not the size of the brush body but the quality of the tip. A size 1 brush with a perfect point will paint better gemstones than a size 000 brush with a worn tip. Make sure your brush comes to a fine point and holds a small amount of paint without flooding.

Can I paint gemstones with an airbrush?

Not effectively at the scale of most miniature gemstones. Airbrush spray patterns are too wide for the tiny surfaces involved. The layered technique described in this guide is a brush-only method. However, on very large gems — like those found on Titan-scale models — an airbrush can be useful for creating smooth gradients.

Do I need to paint gemstones on every model?

For tabletop gaming, no. On rank-and-file troops, a simple dot of bright colour (no gradient, no reflection dot) is perfectly acceptable and will read as a gemstone from arm’s length. Save the full technique for characters, heroes, and centre-piece models where the extra detail will be most visible and impactful.

Should I paint gemstones before or after the rest of the model?

After. Paint gems as one of the last steps, once the metal settings and surrounding areas are finished and washed. That way a stray wash or drybrush won’t spoil the gradient or cover the white reflection dot. Add the gloss varnish at the very end, after any matte varnish on the rest of the model.

Can I use Contrast paint or inks for gemstones?

Yes. A coloured ink or Contrast paint over a bright silver basecoat works much like the Gemstone technical paints, giving a glossy, jewel-like effect in one coat. Let it pool slightly at the bottom of the gem, then add a tiny white reflection dot in the upper area and a coat of gloss varnish to finish.