Ceramic particles for use in a solar power tower and methods for making and using the ceramic particles are disclosed. The ceramic particle can include a sintered ceramic material formed from a mixture of a raw material and MnO. The sintered ceramic material can include about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % MnO, about 0.1 wt % to about 20 wt % Fe2O3, and about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % Mn2O3. The ceramic particle can have a size from about 8 mesh to about 170 mesh.