Diamond pearls for bodywork paint

Since 2005-2010, Diamant flakes have appeared on the pigment market and have become one of the types of car paint flakes. In the repertoire and palette, pigments are available for color designers from all major car manufacturers on the planet.

These Diamond car paint flakes, that's their name, appeared following an invention or rather an experiment carried out by a pigment manufacturer, who came up with the idea of replacing the synthetic mica that makes up the body of its traditional mother-of-pearl, with glass. When we say glass, we mean silica dioxide, the pure chemical form of glass. In this case, that is to say in the manufacture of a sequin for automotive paint, the glass layer is approximately 5 to 10 microns thick. It's called a Diamond flake because when exposed to light, it sparkles like a crystal.

This pigment is now widely used and integrated into the paints found on our cars. If you notice that a paint has a glittery effect and that it shines a little too much, it is very likely that this pigment is included in the composition.

Diamond car paint flakes compared to Mica

It is interesting to make the comparison on several levels between these two types of pigments which are now in competition. Their differences are present at the level of the price, and it is in favor of the mother-of-pearl mica, whose basic material is much cheaper. We can say that a mother-of-pearl or a diamond spangle is two to three times more expensive.

At the level of the structure, the shape and the pigment as a filler in the paint, there is also a difference which is still in favor of the mother-of-pearl of mica, which is much finer and more flexible in its manufacture , because it allows production in a wide variety of sizes with a wide variety of effects.

Diamond car paint flakes clearly stand out in terms of their optical properties: their base materials are purer, i.e. more transparent, compared to synthetic mica. When the pigment is applied on a white background, it gives less yellowing properties. Above all, the reflection is far superior with its diamond pearls, which create an iridescent glitter effect worthy of the best automotive glitter, all materials combined (polyester, mica, glass, magnesium, aluminium).

Variants of automotive diamond spangles

Pigment manufacturers certainly have a certain creative spirit, perhaps developed by the very active competition in this field. They also naturally sought to imitate and reproduce the same techniques that they use on mica-based synthetic mother-of-pearl, to obtain colors, opacity and special effects. And this is quite simple, it consists in using this base, this fine and transparent layer of the microscopic flake, by covering it, by electrolyte processes, with different microscopic layers, of magnesium, of metal oxides such as iron for example, titanium, silver,... This creates effects of colored reflections and indeed, we find the six classic colors of reflections which are green, blue, purple, red, gold and white.

With colors and glitter

When you're a paint maker, or even an artist or body painter, you don't need much in the way of materials to start creating insane or crazy colors, because it's well what the fabulous glitter for diamond automobiles allows : If you want to try it, it's very simple : we need transparent pigments that you will mix in a transparent base with its famous glitter. Of course, it's impossible or rather ineffective to add the opaque pigments with its glitter because that would only drown them out and prevent the light from shining through. It is possible to mix similar or neighboring colors, for example red ink with a red glitter, or even red ink with a gold glitter. But try choosing colors from the far end of the color spectrum and mixing them together, for example, blue ink and a red glitter, or red ink and a green glitter...

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