Anything "Duochrome" or "Chameleon" can also be found using the tag "Color Shifting"

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Saturday, August 27, 2011

Color Shifting Pigments (Part 1)

Please refer to All Chameleon Pigment Suppliers for the latest info, options and prices.

Continuing with the pricelist theme, since I already have all the stores saved, here are the places you can buy chameleon paint/flakes from the automotive industry. SpectraFlair and Kitties26 (More Nail Polish) got me considering automotive pigments with her color morphing frankens and once I began looking for SpectraFlair, it was obvious nearly every brand had their own take on the concept.

I'll start this out with House of Kolor because they are the highest in price but offer the most variety. They have 3 different types, Kolor Shift flakes, Kameleon Opals and Kameleon Pearls.

Kolor Shift flakes are F size: 1/64th to 1/166th Hex or 396 microns to 153 microns and come in three colors: Green Purple, Blue Red and Gold Green. Generally sold in 3 oz containers.

Best price is from Coast Airbrush who sells the Kolor Shift Flakes in 1 oz and 3 oz packages.
The one ounce is $39.95 which breaks down to $/gram. The 3 ounce package sells for $171.85 which is $/gram (They show prices in Canadian, Euro and Australian dollars in addition to US currency.)

Second choice based on price is from Smart Shoppers Inc, also sold in 3 ounce containers. $156.50 for 3 ounces which equals $/gram.

House of Kolor's Kameleon Pearls come in 5 colors: Green to Blue, Gold to Green, Copper Red to Green, Sapphire and Aquarius. Particle size is 40 microns or 90 microns depending on what you choose, while package size is usually a 2 ounce jar. For the 2 ounce, your options are:    
Smart Shoppers Inc, $258.50 = $/gram.
Coast Airbrush, $304.95 = $/gram.

For a smaller quantity it's Coast Airbrush again, 1/2 ounce packages, $84.95 = $/gram.

Moving on, House of Kolor's Kameleon Opals are available in 8 colors: Purple Passion, Maple-Nut, Dorado Dreams, Tequila Sunrise, Honey Blush, Shady Green, Burnt Lime and Plum Blue.

Coast Airbrush tops the list because they sell all 8 colors. Pricing these is a bit different as 4 colors are more expensive than the other 4 and sold in different quantities.
Purple Passion, Maple-Nut, Dorado Dreams and Tequila Sunrise are sold in 1 oz and 6 oz packages.
1 oz. is $64.95, $/gram.
6 oz. is $218.95, $/gram.
Honey Blush, Burnt Lime, Plum Blue, and Shady Green are sold in 1/2 oz. and 2 oz. packages.
1/2 oz. is $73.95, $5.28/gram.
2 oz. is $224.05, $4.00/gram.

Smart Shoppers Inc is next but they sell only 7 colors, in 2 ounce jars.
Purple Passion, Maple-Nut, Dorado Dreams and Tequila Sunrise are $187.00, $./gram.
Burnt Lime, Plum Blue, and Shady Green are $77.00, $/gram.

Part 2 to follow soon. -MK

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7 comments:

  1. Wow you have done a lot of research here. I have the House of Kolor's Kameleon Pearls (and a similar product from the Coating Store), but only the three colours, I hope someone tries the Kameleon Opals so we can see what they are like too. The prices you found for the Kameleon Pearls are really good, from a distributor here in Australia a 2 oz tub is $700+

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  2. Are the Travel Tos from TKB anywhere close to these?

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  3. Mel- I have several entries pertaining to the Travel to's from TKB where you can read, see and judge for yourself. I love my Travel to's and consider them true duochromes. Close how though? 1 ounce is approximately $12 versus $14 if purchased separately so in that regard, they may well be more affordable. As far as close in vibrancy, I can't say since I don't own any automotive pigments (yet).

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  4. Yes, I also have the travel to's which is why I was wondering if these were anything like them. As far as I can tell from pictures, they don't look that different - some of them at least. However, I know duochromes/colorshifting pigments can be deceiving in pictures. I suppose this is more something I should be asking Kitties26.

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  5. I have the Travel tos but haven't mixed them yet. I'm waiting for suspension base from TKB to ship internationally. I'll do up some comparisons then too, looking at the powders they looks similar, in that they are a white powder, my I think the travel to's will still appear whiter in the polish than the colour shifting flakes I have.

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  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  7. Reposted: Anonymous July 13, 2014 at 1:38 AM Having read this I thought it was really enlightening. I appreciate you finding the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it! (Link Omitted)

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