Cristalina/Crystalina, Interference-Iridescent Flake, Blue/Gold, 0.015"-(Free Shipping on orders 35.00 or more!)

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This is a newer "Cristalina" whose particle size is roughly 0.015" x 0.015". The 0.015" sizes have a subtle effect, more like the Pearl Ex "interference" colors than the Pearl Ex "duo" colors. This subtlety makes these flakes quite different than the other "Crystalinas" that I see online. Those have bolder, stronger colors and look more like the typically bright glitter which is usually on a mylar substrate. Bold reds, blues, greens. If that's what you're after these are not for you. This is more muted, and has a softer interference effect, with double colors (and sometimes triple colors). Check out all 3 color types, and look at the pictures because you may see some additional colors in one that aren't evident in another.

This listing is for a small iridescent flake that looks somewhat like a coarse version of Pearl Ex. Since it works by the interference effect it's extremely lightfast and essentially never fades. You could call this "glitter", but that really doesn't do it justice. What's the difference between this and glitter?

#1) The colors exhibited by this are achieved by the "interference" phenomena (similar to the way Pearl Ex interference powders work). You get a double-hued effect depending on the angle of view. There is also a transmitted/reflective light effect going on. The subject is complicated and I don't fully understand it, but one of the best explanations I've found is on the Daniel Smith site, here:
http://www.danielsmith.com/content--id-108
There is also a more technical Wiki article here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin-film_interference
#2) These flakes are small (0.015" x 0.015") and very thin 0.00045" (note that this is one size above the smallest that you can find out there, usually 0.008"). There is glitter that's small from other manufacturers but I haven't seen it with the "interference" color effect. There are also various flake glitters that are called "Crystalina". They're described as multicolored but I think several different manufacturers are producing them, although I don't know how one varies from another. I've only worked with this and some of the 0.008". It's described in sizes that hover around 0.025" to 0.028" and in differing shapes. This 0.015" size is almost 1/2 those sizes.
#3) The combination of #1 and #2 creates a product that's between a "flake" and a "powder". Perhaps "dust" would be a good description. Note, though that the size that's one step smaller than this is more like "dust" than this, although this is still a pretty small flake size. In certain movies you might see some substance being sprinkled to represent something magical like "pixie dust". If you hold a very small amount of this between your fingers and let it drop it will fall slowly and fan out as it falls, similar to the "magical dust". I think it does that because it's a flake so it drifts slowly down like falling leaves. Also it's made from a very thin plastic film which means it's very lightweight. Because it's so light it gets airborne easily. Although that doesn't make it a health risk (the size is too large), it's easy to get this pixie dust on your surrounding work area and on yourself. And because it's so reflective, when you're at the right angle single flakes will be visible from several feet away, not appearing as flakes, but as single points of colored light.
Here's how the supplier describes it:
"A rainbow effect whose appearance varies with point of view/light interaction. Along with a white base color, there is a transmitted or background color, and a reflected color. Use Cristalina in any clear medium to create iridescent paint and coatings."