Zirconium silicate encapsulated carbon (C@ZrSiO4) black pigment was prepared by sol-precipitation method, using walnut shell powder, zirconium oxychloride (ZrOCl2·8H2O) and ethyl silicate (TEOS), etc. as raw materials. The heat effect, chemical structure, phase composition and microstructure of samples were investigated by TG-DSC, FT-IR, XRD, SEM and TEM.The effects of different heat treatment temperatures and mass ratios of walnut shell powder/ZrSiO4(theoretical synthesis, the same below) on the phase composition and chromaticity value of pigment were studied. The results show that the C@ZrSiO4 pigment with excellent coloring performance (L*=31.3, a*=+1.4 and b*=+1.3) can be obtained when heat treatment temperature is 1 100 ℃, and the mass ratio of walnut shell powder/ZrSiO4 is 1∶3. When 5% (mass fraction) C@ZrSiO4 is added to transparent glaze under firing temperature of 1 200 ℃, the black glaze exhibits excellent coloring performance with the color value of L*=41.2, a*=+1.2 and b*=+1.7.