PEARLESCENT PIGMENTS

Pearlescent pigments are a relatively new class of pigments based on t he optics of thin solid films. By using principles which are already k nown from eyecatching effects in nature (pearlescent lustre or brillia nt iridescent colors in the world of animals or minerals), interferenc e (or pearl) pigments are synthesized as highly refractive crystalline platelets or multilayer thin solid flakes. The most important pigment s of this type are made by coating muscovite mica with highly refracti ve metal oxides like TiO2 or Fe2O3.