In this study, the spherical urchin-like CoAl2O4 pigment was prepared using a microemulsion-hydrother mal-precipitation (M-H-P) method. This method was used to prepare the high-performance CoAl2O4 pigment, which has good dispersibility, small particle size, narrow particle size distribution, and large BET surface area. Use of this method also successfully achieved the recycling of organic solvents. SEM and TEM results show that the CoAl2O4 pigment is the soft-aggregation of lamellar nanocrystals with a mean particle size of 1-1.2 mu m. The urchin-like pigment exhibits better color performance than the previously reported CoAl2O4 pigment. After applying the pigment on a high-temperature transparent glaze, the pigment exhibits excellent coloration, indicating its potential application in ceramic decoration and ceramic ink-jet technology. This study provides a new method for preparing high-performance powders. (C) 2020 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.