<p>Transforming mine tailings (MTs) into construction materials has attracted attention as a sustainable, environmentally friendly approach. Ceramics, made by shaping and sintering MTs, are one such product and can be used in applications such as bricks, substrates, and roof tiles. This study evaluated the fracture behavior of tailings-based ceramics using advanced monitoring techniques, including digital image correlation (DIC) and acoustic emission (AE) for the first time. The notched semicircular bending (NSCB) samples were prepared and tested under three-point bending. To precisely control brittle fracture, a high-accuracy clip-on extensometer was used, and the fracture progression was continuously monitored with calibrated DIC and AE systems to analyze the fracture process zone (FPZ) and elucidate crack propagation mechanisms. AE monitoring confirmed the brittle behavior of the ceramic, with limited micro-seismicity being detected prior to the peak load. AE events were classified using the polarity method into tensile (opening), shear (sliding), or compaction (collapse) types, revealing that tensile fractures were the most prevalent crack source mechanism throughout the post-peak loading regime, with shear cracks developing subsequently. Importantly, the AE data detected the FPZ initiation point earlier than the DIC results, confirming that microcracks initiate within the bulk material before propagating to the specimen surface. Additionally, the seismic source parameters of this novel ceramic were thoroughly explored and found to be consistent with laboratory-scale observations in other materials and exhibiting scaling trends similar to those observed in large-scale seismicity.</p>