pearlescence
Opalescent surface quality
Pearlescence is a soft, lustrous quality resembling the iridescent sheen of a pearl—that subtle glow with shifting colors depending on the angle of light.
The term appears most often describing cosmetics, paint finishes, and decorative materials: The nail polish had a pink pearlescence, pearlescence in automotive coatings.
Something displaying this quality is pearlescent.
Delicate beyond earthly measure
- dreamyVague and pleasantly distracted
- luminousEmitting or reflecting light
- opalescentShowing milky iridescence
- nacreousResembling pearl's iridescence
lustrous · moonlit · gossamer · diaphanous · otherworldly · enchanting · magical · celestial
Tremulous, wavering light
radiance · luminosity · opalescence · nacre · glimmer · play-of-color · rainbow · prismatic
Iridescent shell coating
- abaloneNacreous marine gastropod
- oysterPearl-bearing edible mollusk
- molluskSoft-bodied invertebrate, often shelled
- musselEdible two-shelled mollusk
conch · nautilus · bivalve · shell · marine · aragonite · lamellae · coating
ethereal
Delicate beyond earthly measure
- dreamyVague and pleasantly distracted
- luminousEmitting or reflecting light
- opalescentShowing milky iridescence
nacreous · lustrous · moonlit · gossamer · diaphanous · otherworldly · enchanting · magical · celestial · angelic
shimmer
Tremulous, wavering light
gleam · radiance · luminosity · opalescence · nacre · glimmer · play-of-color · rainbow · prismatic · spectral
nacre
Iridescent shell coating
- abaloneNacreous marine gastropod
- oysterPearl-bearing edible mollusk
- molluskSoft-bodied invertebrate, often shelled
mussel · conch · nautilus · bivalve · shell · marine · aragonite · lamellae · coating · inlay
silky
Smooth and lustrous
glossy · polished · creamy · soft · delicate · velvety · sleek · milky · translucent · cloudy
cosmetics
Skin-applied beauty substances
glaze · ceramic · porcelain · fabric · automotive · finish · coating · jewelry · button · inlay
- glowglow, gleam, glimmer, shimmer, radiance
- light effectsshine, glow, gleam, shimmer, glitter
- sheenluster, shine, gloss, sheen, gleam
- iridescenceoil slick, soap bubble, nacre, opal, peacock feather
- optical propertiesreflectivity, transparency, translucency, absorbance, refraction
- optical effectsiridescence, opalescence, sheen, shimmer, gleam
pearlescencematte
Non-reflective surface finish
flat finish · flat · dull · lusterless · non-reflective
pearlescenceopacity
Impermeability to light
flatness · uniformity · monochrome · drabness · plainness