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ChromaFlair

Pigment used in paint systems

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionNov 15, 2025
Entity authorityQ5113702 ↗
Source-derived summary

ChromaFlair is a pigment used in paint systems, primarily for automobiles. When the paint is applied, it changes color depending on the light source and viewing angle. It was created at Optical Coating Laboratory, Inc. (OCLI) [later JDS Uniphase and Viavi Solutions] in 1979 and is used by DuPont (sold to the Carlyle Group and rebranded as Axalta Coating Systems), Cande Shop, and PPG.

Names

The paint system (and competing versions made by other companies) are known by a wide variety of proprietary names, including Unicorn Pearls, Supershifts, Hypershifts, ChromaLusion, ChromaPremier, ColourShift, Exclusive Line, Extreme Colors, Harlequin Color, IllusionColor, Maziora, MultiTones, MystiChrome, Ch(K)ameleon, Interference Fireglow and Paradis Spectrashine.

Effect

The ChromaFlair effect is achieved by interfering with the reflection and refraction of light from the painted object's surface. The paint contains tiny synthetic flakes about one micrometer thick. The flakes are constructed of aluminium coated with glass-like magnesium fluoride embedded in semi-translucent chromium. The aluminium and chrome give the paint a vibrant metallic sparkle, while the glass-like coating acts like a refracting prism, changing the apparent color of the surface as the observer moves.

ChromaFlair paints contain no conventional absorbing pigments; rather, the pigment is a light interference pigment. The color observed is created entirely by the refractive properties of the flakes, analogous to the perception of rainbow colors in oil slicks.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “ChromaFlair” as pigment used in paint systems. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around ChromaFlair, Pigment and used.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1979—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with ChromaFlair, Pigment and used providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “ChromaFlair”, the useful work is to connect “pigment used in paint systems” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 15, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q5113702. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1979.

Critical limits

Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “ChromaFlair”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow ChromaFlair primary sources, ChromaFlair archive and ChromaFlair research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “ChromaFlair” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.