pearly
Like fine nacre
Pearly means resembling or containing pearls—lustrous, iridescent, or pale with a soft sheen.
Pearly white teeth, pearly skin.
The word suggests a quality of gentle luminescence rather than brightness.
The pearly gates refers to the entrance to heaven, from the biblical description of gates made of pearl.
Absence of pigment
- ivoryTusk-derived material
- alabasterTranslucent carving stone
- milkyWhitish and cloudy
- creamySmooth and rich
porcelain · opalescent · translucent · moonlit · luminous · soft · delicate · ethereal
Showing milky iridescence
- nacreousResembling pearl's iridescence
- shimmeringGleaming with wavering light
- lustrousSoftly bright, reflective
- prismaticLight-dispersing, multicolored
rainbow · luminescent · glowing · sheen · gleaming · radiant · glossy · satin
white
Absence of pigment
creamy · porcelain · opalescent · translucent · moonlit · luminous · soft · delicate · ethereal · gossamer
opalescent
Showing milky iridescence
- nacreousResembling pearl's iridescence
- shimmeringGleaming with wavering light
- lustrousSoftly bright, reflective
prismatic · rainbow · luminescent · glowing · sheen · gleaming · radiant · glossy · satin · silky
jewel
Precious cut stone
lustrous · precious · ornament · necklace · strand · cultured · baroque · seed · freshwater · Mikimoto
teeth
Enamel-covered chewing structures
grin · dentist · toothpaste · braces · floss · incisor · molar · hygiene · fluoride · crown
- gemstone-derived termsruby red, emerald green, sapphire blue, amber, amethyst
- sheenluster, shine, gloss, sheen, gleam
- translucentfrosted glass, rice paper, wax paper, tracing paper, sheer fabric
- mineral propertiesadamantine, vitreous, metallic, resinous, waxy
- lightsunlight, daylight, shine, rays, moonlight
- gemstonesdiamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire, opal
pearlymatte
Non-reflective surface finish
dull · flat · lusterless · lackluster · unpolished
- pearl diverHarvests lustrous orbs underwater
- mother of pearlIridescent shell lining
- pearly whitesSlang for teeth
- Pearl HarborHawaiian military port attacked 1941
- freshwater pearlsGems from river mussels
- pearl necklaceJewelry of iridescent spheres
pearl, pearls, pearly gates, pearled, pearling, mother-of-pearl, pearly whites, pearlescent, pearlies