Are Iridescent Acrylics made from metal?
Yes and no. Some colors, such as Iridescent Stainless Steel are in fact made from just metal. However, some are varying combinations of layers of aluminum silicate, titanium dioxide, and iron oxide. The materials and the thickness of each layer determine the luster and color of each pigment. Incredibly, there exists naturally occurring materials called mica particles. GOLDEN actually has made these into our Gold, Black and Pearl Mica Flake products. Consult the Iridescent & Interference Information Sheet for more information on these pigments.

What can you tell me about the life of Iridescent paint in an exterior setting?
With the Iridescent colors, all components are already in the most stable state of oxidation, and there is NO possibility for change resulting from further oxidizing reactions.

The metals GOLDEN has chosen to offer are known to demonstrate remarkable durability. Our Stainless Steel (Coarse & Fine), which consists of extremely durable 316L grade stainless, are very resistant to salt spray and acid spotting, as well as alkaline cleaners or detergents. The Micaceous Iron Oxide, while being highly reflective, is actually not in a metallic state, but is already oxidized.

Could you tell me what the coverage would be on a wall application for any of the Iridescent Acrylics?
You can estimate coverage of most of our products at 400 square feet per gallon. This estimate was derived by apply the paints, gels, medium and varnishes in an even manner, not overly thick or too thin. The surface's absorbency is key to coverage as well. For instance, gesso over raw canvas is about 250 square feet per gallon, but over canvas sealed with acrylic paints, the coverage is 400-sq. ft. per gallon. Iridescent colors vary in opacity and the Iridescent Gold fine may take several coats, while the Copper Light may only take one. To lessen the chance of additional coats, we have found base coating with a color similar in value and hue (example Yellow Ochre under Iridescent Gold) will help hide thick to thin areas like you would get from brushing. Coating the Iridescents with a glossy varnish or medium will also increase the sheen. You can also add mediums to the paints to increase their gloss.

When I paint large areas with Iridescents, they don't seem to cover well. Is it due to low pigment load?
As with the other paint lines, GOLDEN adds as much pigment as possible to the paints. The size of the particle itself limits how much can be added. If you consider you could place 50,000 Carbon Black pigment particles side-by-side on one average sized Iridescent Pearl flake, and couple that with the translucent nature of the pigment itself, it is easy to realize why such a difference in opacity exists. One way to combat this inherent weakness is to first apply a base coat of a color similar to the Iridescent color you wish to use. Yellow Ochre works great for most of the Golds. Since Yellow Ochre is less costly than Iridescents, it's also less expensive than having to apply several coats of Iridescents.

Is there a way to increase the luster of the Iridescents?
Because the pigments are dependent on light for their brilliance, adding gels and mediums to the Iridescent paints (in fact, this is true for all pigments) will make them appear more vibrant, as this allows light to surround the pigments instead of merely reflecting off of the surface. A layer of gel or medium on top can also increase the metallic look.

Can Iridescent Acrylics be used outdoors? Will they fade?
Because they are made with Titanium Dioxide Pigment, they are actually very resilient to fading. They can be used for signs and murals outdoors with good results, and because the majority of them are not metal, they won't oxidize or tarnish.

Why aren't ASTM Lightfastness ratings provided for your Interference and Iridescent colors? The labels describe their lightfastness as "excellent" while your other colors are labeled with ASTM lightfastness ratings of I or II. Are these different systems?
ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) bases lightfastness categories on the measured amount of color change (typically fading) occurring as a result of standard levels of accelerated or long-term ultraviolet light exposure. Although remarkably lightfast, Interference and Iridescent pigments can not be instrumentally measured in the manner specified by the present ASTM test methods. Therefore, they must be evaluated following exposure by visual comparison with a retained sample, rather than by using a spectrophotometer.

We use the term "excellent" to describe that after the ASTM prescribed exposure, these pigments reveal no color shift upon close visual inspection. ASTM lightfastness category I is also described as "excellent". Although we can not spectrophotometrically measure the difference and assign an official ASTM rating of category I, we can attest to, under the same test conditions, these pigments perform as well as any type we've ever tested.

The inherent durability of these pigments results from the stability of their components. Iridescent and Interference pigments share common building blocks with the most lightfast class of pigments, metal oxides. They are comprised of mica particles coated with a transparent layer of Titanium Dioxide and/or Iron Oxide. They are entirely inorganic and resist degradation not only from ultraviolet radiation, but also from water, heat and acidic or basic compounds.