Diamond Painting NZ: The Complete Guide to Diamond Art in New Zealand

Diamond painting, also called diamond art, is one of the fastest-growing creative hobbies in New Zealand. Each kit includes a pre-printed canvas, a full set of colour-coded resin diamonds, and the tools to place them.

Diamond painting and diamond art refer to the same hobby. You apply tiny resin diamonds to a pre-printed adhesive canvas, matching each diamond's colour code to a symbol on the canvas surface. The result is a mosaic-style artwork that catches light differently depending on the angle you view it from. This guide covers how it works, how diamond art compares to paint by numbers, what to expect from a kit ordered to any New Zealand address, and how to choose between a catalogue design and a custom photo kit.

What Is Diamond Painting

A diamond painting kit includes a canvas printed with a colour-coded adhesive surface, a set of small resin diamonds in numbered colour bags, a diamond applicator tool, a small tray for sorting the diamonds, and wax to help the tool pick them up. You pour a small batch of one colour into the tray, load the tool with wax, press it onto a diamond to pick it up, and place it onto the matching symbol on the canvas. There is no gluing, no mixing, and no drying time. The adhesive holds each diamond in place as you go.

The diamonds themselves are faceted resin drills, cut with multiple flat faces that reflect light across the canvas surface. This is what gives a finished diamond art piece its characteristic shimmer, which is different from anything a painted canvas produces. When the canvas is complete and framed, it reads from a distance as a highly detailed, glittering mosaic rather than a painting.

Diamond painting is sometimes compared directly to paint by numbers because both use a numbered or symbol-coded system and require no prior art experience. If you want to understand exactly how the two hobbies differ in terms of time commitment, skill level, and finished result, our paint by numbers vs diamond painting comparison covers both in detail.

Round vs Square Diamonds

Every diamond art kit in New Zealand comes in two diamond shape options. This is the single most important choice in a diamond painting kit because it affects the finished look and the difficulty of placing each diamond.

Round diamonds are the better starting point for a first kit. Square diamonds are worth choosing once you are comfortable with the basic process and want a more polished finished result.

Diamond Art Kits: Sizes and Pricing in NZD

Diamond painting kits in New Zealand are available in two sizes, with the option of no frame or a DIY wooden frame included. Every order includes buy 2 get 1 free site-wide with no code required.

All prices in NZD, shown automatically when visiting from New Zealand. Both round and square diamond options available at the same price on all kits.

The 20x25cm size is a good starting point for a first diamond painting kit. It is large enough to produce an impressive result without taking the weeks of session time that a 40x50cm canvas requires. The larger size is worth choosing if you want to display the finished piece prominently or if you want the diamond mosaic detail to be visible from a comfortable viewing distance.

Custom Diamond Art Kits

A custom diamond art kit turns any photo into a symbol-coded adhesive canvas. The result is a mosaic of your chosen subject in resin diamonds.

A custom diamond painting kit works the same way as a catalogue kit, except the canvas is designed from a photo you upload rather than a pre-set design. The most popular subjects for custom diamond art in New Zealand are pets, family portraits, couples photos, wedding images, and landscapes. The canvas is produced from your photo by the design team and ships to your New Zealand address with the full diamond set included.

The same photo rules that apply to custom paint by numbers apply here: the original high-resolution file from your phone or camera produces a better result than a screenshot or a photo downloaded from social media. Clear lighting and the subject filling most of the frame give the design team the most to work with. Our photo selection guide covers exactly what makes a good upload.

Custom diamond painting kits start from $48 NZD for the 20x25cm size without a frame, and $63 NZD for the 40x50cm size without a frame.

Diamond Art Delivery to New Zealand

Common Questions About Diamond Painting in NZ

About the Author

William Murdock is the Founder of Paint On Numbers. He added diamond painting to the range after watching the hobby grow rapidly in New Zealand and wanting to give NZ buyers access to both catalogue and custom options in one place.