Pearls and pigments for epoxy resin

Powders, pearls and flakes for epoxy resin :

The pearl and metallized pigments are incorporated into the epoxy resin to give beautiful iridescent effects, especially for making the famous epoxy river tables, but also marbled epoxy floor resins, for example.



These pearl powders reflect the light and sparkle when added to the epoxy resin.
The particles are light and therefore very concentrated :
5 to 25g are enough to tint 1L of epoxy resin
Being light, they do not fall back and remain in suspension once mixed in the resin.

   

A myriad of choices of colours and effects to achieve epoxy castings :

Discover all our effect pearls for epoxy resin :
(sizes in microns µm) all delivered in 25g pots

- series of 4 basic white pearls (fine or coarse are available)
- series of 16 coloured pearls (commonly used in epoxy river tables)
- series of 8 metallic pearls (metallic shades)
- series of 7 Diamond pearls (extra glitter)
- series of 8 Interferences pearls 10-60µm

     
Some pearls are coloured and semi-opaque, while others are transparent and have the appearance of white powders.
These transparent pearls reflect a specific colour when observed under light or on a dark background, and are called "interfering"

    
     
Use and mixing of pearls in epoxy resins :

Add 25g max per liter of mixed resin and stir. There is no point to stir vigorously, simply disperse the pearls in the resin.
The pearl quantity depends mainly on the thickness of the casting: the lower the thickness, the more one must charge in pearls (up to 5%). On the contrary, for larger thicknesses, it is possible to reduce the pearl content to 0.1% (i.e. 10g/L)

When making a "river table", it is useful to have a dark background if you work with small layer thickness, because the nacres have little opacifying effect, and can be seen through.
   

Descriptions of the pearls and their effects :


Download the colour chart at the bottom of the page

   
     
White pearls (from 5µm to 2mm) :

They have the appearance of white powder, and create pure transparent white pearl effects. The smaller the size, the more the white satin effect, and the larger the size, the more gloss the effect.

They are semi transparent and produce a white effect on a white background, and a silver effect on a black background.
The pearl pigments can be tinted with translucent epoxy inks.
Dosage indications 25/L

  
   
Coloured pearls (60µm) :

Coloured pearl powder, medium size pearls, easy to use and efficient, they are frequently chosen to make the epoxy pourings for "river tables".
They give better results on a dark or black background, except if the thickness of the epoxy casting is 5cm or more
Dosage indications 25/L

   
    
Metallic pearls (60µm) :

They are pearls that provide a gold or copper aspect, obtained by depositing a thin layer of metallisation on the mica flakes. They are semi-opaque and give beautiful effects when mixed with epoxy resins, especially to make castings in the wood grooves :
Dosage indications : from 5 to 25g/L

   
Diamond pearls (100µm) :

Special pearls made from medium size (100µm) glass micro particles. They are high quality products, with strong reflectory properties: delivered as white pearlescent powder, the Diamond pearls are transparent. In the light, they produce extra iridescent colourful reflections.
They give best results on black or coloured backgrounds. On a white background, they create opalescent reflections.
Dosage indications : from 5 to 25g/L

  
Holographic pigments (from 20 to 200µm) :

Delivered as a grey powder, produced from polyester or aluminum depending on the type and size of the pigments, these effect pigments reflect a full rainbow effect, the colour of which varies according to the position of the observer.
Best results obtained on dark or black backgrounds. Mixture from 5 to 25g/L, in thin or superficial passes (example with 4000 glaze epoxy resin)
     

Use of pearls or pigments in floor resins :

Stardust® pearls can be used to create beautiful marbled and pearlescent effects in resin floors (whether PU, epoxy or others). They are mixed directly within the mass of the resin, or in a more concentrated portion of resin that is previously applied working in a “net” pattern, before casting the big part of resin. Mixing is possible only in transparent resin.

   

Learn more :

Pearl pigment composition :

Pearls are fine particles in the form of flakes, measuring a few ten thousandths of a millimeter (µm microns).
Initially made with mica, modern pearls have greatly evolved and are now made of different materials, depending on their type and quality, which gives them more purity and iridescence.
Components : Synthetic mica, Silica, Borosilicate, Aluminum, Metal oxides, Polyester

Sedimentation :

Warning ! during the "curing time" or "gel time" of the resin,
nacres can sediment and fall.
To avoid this phenomenon, it is necessary to ensure a fast hardening of the resin:
several solutions exist :
- choose the most suitable type of resin
- and ensure a sufficient thickness, to create a fast hardening
(for 4000 resin : 3 cm, for WWA resin: 10cm)
The phenomenon of pearl deposition is faster with pearls of the Diamond type or flakes.

Tinting the pearls with Candy epoxy inks :

To increase the glittering effect, the depth effect and the resin brightness, there is a technique that consists not simply using pearl + resin, but also of adding translucent inks for epoxy resin
These inks are compatible with all resins and are highly transparent: the light passes through, bounces off the pearl, and leaves tinted up to the observer's eye. The quality of the colour visual effect is higher than that obtained with an already coloured pearl, because it is a "light colour".
All types of pearls, especially white, diamond, or metallized, can be used.
   
   

Pearly pigment for a projected effect :

Our colored powder pearls allow you to create a “projected effect” on bodywork.
These colored pearl pigments can be sprayed dry on the bodywork (background painted and sanded with P500).
This projected pearl effect can then be sealed and fixed with a simple varnish.
We also offer a series of professional quality mother-of-pearl with a very high level of UV and temperature resistance.

These are crystal pearls which have a colorless appearance and which produce a colored appearance and reflections when they are applied on a black background

Do not breathe nacre, work with overalls in a paint booth with extraction

Resistance :

Pearls are highly resistant to temperatures and UVs.

    

Safety :
S22 : Do not breathe dust. The pearl powders are very fine and volatile, they should not be inhaled. Work with air extraction during the mixing. Once mixed, they are no longer dangerous.


River table from Jeff Mack, Canada. All rights reserved

FAQS :

Question :

I would have liked to know what quantities of mother-of-pearl and pigment it would be necessary to use in order to obtain the river table result illustrated on your page:

Answer :

In all cases, the dosages must be made at the time by gradually adding the mother-of-pearl (spoon by spoon) and the candy coloring (drop by drop) until the desired shade is obtained.

It is of course not possible to go back if too much product has been added, and there is a risk of clouding of the resin layer. It is important to maintain transparency and lightness in the dosage.

The dosage depends greatly on the thickness of the resin.

Pearls : 5 to 20 g/L

Candy coloring : 0.5 to 5g / L

StardustColors is a specialist and leading company in the field of pearl pigments. The Stardust® pearl and flake brand includes nearly 200 references.

These are organic pigments and flakes based on metal or glass not impacted by the European regulation "ECHA Microplastics Annex XV"