The origin and composition of pearlescent pigments Pearlescent pigments are essentially a type of pigment that can present a pearl-like luster and produce a special optical interference effect. It is not a pigment that simply relies on chemical dyeing to form color in the traditional sense, but rather displays a gorgeous appearance through a unique physical structure and optical principle. Common pearlescent pigments mainly include mica titanium pearlescent pigments, natural mica pearlescent pigments, and glass flake pearlescent pigments. Among them, mica titanium pearlescent pigments are widely used. They are based on natural mica flakes and are made by coating one or more layers of metal oxide (such as titanium dioxide, iron oxide, etc.) films on their surface. The different thicknesses of these metal oxide films will cause light to reflect, refract, and interfere on the upper and lower surfaces of the film, thereby producing a colorful, soft, and gorgeous pearlescent effect. Natural mica pearlescent pigments directly use the reflection and refraction of light produced by the layer structure of mica itself to create a pearl-like luster. Glass flake pearlescent pigments are also based on glass flakes that have been specially treated to obtain unique optical effects.

(I) Pearlescent luster This is one of the obvious characteristics of pearlescent pigments, just like the soft, delicate and layered luster emitted by the surface of natural pearls. When light shines on the surface of an object containing pearlescent pigments, the lamellar structure in the pigments will cause the light to be reflected and refracted at multiple angles, creating a pearl-like warm and elegant luster effect, which instantly gets rid of the dull feeling after ordinary pigments are applied, and adds a bit of luxury and refinement. For example, when pearlescent pigments are used for printing or coating on the packaging shell of some cosmetics, the packaging will immediately present an atmospheric texture, as if it is endowed with pearl-like luster, attracting the attention of consumers.

(II) Interference color effect Based on the principle of light interference, pearlescent pigments can present colors that change with the viewing angle, which is called interference color. Metal oxide coatings of different thicknesses or different viewing angles will cause interference between reflected light, thus presenting different color combinations. For example, it may appear golden when viewed from a certain angle, but it may become green or pink when the angle is slightly changed. In the field of automotive coating, pearlescent pigments with this interference color effect can make the car body show unpredictable colors under different light and angles, making the car seem to be covered with a "dream color coat", which is particularly eye-catching when driving on the road and becomes a flowing work of art.

(III) Balance between covering and transparency Pearlescent pigments have unique covering ability. Unlike some ordinary pigments, they do not completely cover the color or material of the underlying layer. They can effectively show their own pearlescent effect and retain the visibility of the underlying layer to a certain extent, achieving a clever balance between covering and transparency. Take textile printing and dyeing as an example. When pearlescent pigments are used to print fabrics, the original texture and base color of the fabric are still looming, and at the same time, they are covered with a layer of gorgeous patterns with pearlescent glitter, creating a hazy and mysterious beauty, making the printed and dyed textiles unique and favored by the fashion industry.