Milk opal: pearl white to pale lavenderLay over white. Pearl white, pale aqua, pale mint, pale blue and pale lavender: blend each into the next.#F2EFE9 · #B6EDED · #D6F5E6 · #C1DBF6 · #E0D8F8
Cool white opal: snow white to pale pinkLay over white. Snow white, ice blue, pale cyan, pale lilac and pale pink: blend each into the next.
Green-flash opal: white to pale cyanLay over white. White, pale mint, mint, aqua and pale cyan: blend each into the next.
Milk opal: pearl white to pale lavenderLay over white. Pearl white, pale aqua, pale mint, pale blue and pale lavender: blend each into the next.
Pink-flash opal: pearl white to powder blueLay over white. Pearl white, blush, pink, lilac and powder blue: blend each into the next.
Rainbow white opal: chalk white to pale blueLay over gray. Chalk white, pale pink, pale peach, pale yellow, pale green and pale blue: blend each into the next.
Warm white opal: ivory to pale mintLay over white. Ivory, pale peach, blush, pale yellow and pale mint: blend each into the next.
Show all 36 palettes (30 more)
Fire opal 6
Green-flash fire opal: apricot to bright greenLay over black. Apricot, orange, ember orange, scarlet and bright green: blend each into the next.
Honey fire opal: pale gold to rustLay over white. Pale gold, honey, tangerine, burnt orange and rust: blend each into the next.
Orange fire opal: vanilla to brick redLay over gray. Vanilla, gold, tangerine, ember orange and brick red: blend each into the next.
Pale fire opal: butter to coralLay over white. Butter, pale peach, apricot, salmon and coral: blend each into the next.
Red fire opal: amber to deep redLay over gray. Amber, pumpkin, scarlet, crimson and deep red: blend each into the next.
Yellow fire opal: pale yellow to ember orangeLay over white. Pale yellow, lemon, amber, orange and ember orange: blend each into the next.
Black opal 6
Blue-green black opal: blue-black to pale aquaLay over black. Blue-black, cobalt, turquoise, emerald and pale aqua: blend each into the next.
Dusk black opal: black to aquaLay over black. Black, deep violet, violet, electric blue and aqua: blend each into the next.
Ember black opal: ink blue to limeLay over black. Ink blue, wine, ember orange, gold and lime: blend each into the next.
Full-flash black opal: soft black to redLay over black. Soft black, royal blue, bright green, yellow, orange and red: blend each into the next.
Gray-body opal: dark gray to lilacLay over gray. Dark gray, slate blue, turquoise, mint and lilac: blend each into the next.
Red-flash black opal: charcoal to scarletLay over black. Charcoal, deep blue, jade, amber and scarlet: blend each into the next.
Pearl and mother-of-pearl 6
Black pearl: soft black to silverLay over black. Soft black, pine green, slate blue, steel gray and silver: blend each into the next.
Blue abalone pearl: deep teal to silverLay over black. Deep teal, turquoise, cobalt, violet, orchid and silver: blend each into the next.
Golden pearl: ivory to honeyLay over gray. Ivory, vanilla, pale gold, wheat and honey: blend each into the next.
Mother-of-pearl: pearl white to pale yellowLay over gray. Pearl white, pale pink, pale lilac, pale blue, pale mint and pale yellow: blend each into the next.
Pink pearl: white to pale peachLay over white. White, blush, pale pink, rose pink and pale peach: blend each into the next.
White pearl: pearl white to pale lavenderLay over gray. Pearl white, cream, pale pink, silver and pale lavender: blend each into the next.
Soap bubble 6
Big bubble: gold to pale greenLay over black. Gold, hot pink, amethyst, azure, turquoise and pale green: blend each into the next.
Bright bubble: magenta to yellowLay over black. Magenta, violet, cyan, lime and yellow: blend each into the next.
Bubble foam: white to pale peachLay over gray. White, pale blue, pale lilac, pale pink and pale peach: blend each into the next.
Bubble in shade: lavender to pale yellowLay over black. Lavender, sky blue, aqua, pale mint and pale yellow: blend each into the next.
Bubble in sunlight: pale gold to mintLay over gray. Pale gold, peach, pink, lilac, sky blue and mint: blend each into the next.
Rosy bubble: orchid to aquaLay over black. Orchid, pink, pale yellow, mint and aqua: blend each into the next.
Oil on water 6
Dock water: navy to mauveLay over gray. Navy, teal, jade, old gold and mauve: blend each into the next.
Gold and pink film: dark gray to violetLay over gray. Dark gray, gold, coral, hot pink and violet: blend each into the next.
Oil on a puddle: charcoal to goldLay over black. Charcoal, violet, cobalt, turquoise, lime and gold: blend each into the next.
Purple and green film: deep purple to limeLay over black. Deep purple, magenta, royal blue, emerald and lime: blend each into the next.
Rainbow film: scarlet to violetLay over black. Scarlet, orange, yellow, bright green, azure and violet: blend each into the next.
Slick pavement: soft black to peachLay over black. Soft black, slate blue, teal, amethyst and peach: blend each into the next.
How this list was compiled: Own work, written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-01: color runs for painting a pearly or opal-like surface, five or six colors each, in the order we would blend them as the surface turns in the light. A flat swatch cannot shimmer: a palette here is the set of colors to blend between, and its line says whether to lay them over white, gray or black. Every palette, color word, hex code and order is our own reading and none is a measurement of a stone, a shell or a film. Facts checked on 2026-10-01 and again on 2026-10-02 against Wikipedia. Opalescence (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opalescence): a milky, see-through glow that shifts with the light's angle; in everyday use the word is a synonym for iridescence; fire opal is a relatively transparent stone of vivid yellow-orange-red that seldom shows iridescence. Opal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opal): precious opal shows play-of-color, flashes of colored light as it is turned in white light; the background can be white, black or almost any color; black opal has a mostly dark background, from dark gray to blue-black; fire opal has warm body colors, yellow to orange to red and occasionally shows bright green flashes; milk opal is milky bluish to greenish. Iridescence (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridescence): a surface appears to change color gradually as the angle of view or of the light changes; soap bubbles, seashell nacre and opal are examples. Nacre (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nacre): mother-of-pearl, the inner shell layer of some mollusks and the material of pearls, is iridescent. Pearl (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl): South Sea pearls can be white, silver, pink, gold or cream; natural black pearls have a body color of black, brown-black, green-black, gold, silver or silver blue; abalone pearls are known as blue pearls. Soap bubble (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_bubble) and Thin-film interference (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin-film_interference): the colors of a soap film and of an oil film on water come from light reflecting off the front and back of a thin film, and depend on its thickness. Color names are plain English words and one word is one code everywhere on the list. Checked on 2026-10-02: every code is #RRGGBB, no palette and no name repeats, each color word fits the hue and lightness of its code, neighbors on a strip are 6 or more apart in CIE Lab, no two palettes share four colors, and no palette is on another palette list of this site or of its sister sites. The hex codes are for a screen; with paint or pencils, take the nearest color. Licence: own work
How it works
An opalescent color palette here is a run of five or six colors in the order we would blend them for a pearly surface. A flat swatch cannot shimmer: these are the colors to blend between.
Read the full guide
Blend along the strip
Read the strip from the top and blend each color into the next. The order is our own reading of the material, not a measurement. The line under the name says whether to lay the run over white, gray or black.
Pick a material
A menu under the button keeps to one: white opal, fire opal, black opal, pearl and mother-of-pearl, soap bubble, or oil on water. White opal runs are pale, fire opal runs are warm, and black opal starts from a dark body. For shells to try one on, see shell painting ideas.
Questions and answers
What does opalescent mean?
A milky, see-through glow that shifts with the angle of the light, as in an opal. In everyday use the word also stands for iridescent: a surface that seems to change color as you or the light move.
What colors are in an opal?
Precious opal flashes with many colors as it turns, over a body that can be white, black or almost any color. Black opal has a dark gray to blue-black body. Fire opal is yellow, orange or red and rarely flashes.
What is the difference between opalescent and iridescent?
Iridescent means the color changes with the angle of view or of the light, as on a soap bubble or mother-of-pearl. Opalescent is the milky glow of opal, and in everyday use the two words name the same look.
How do I paint an opalescent effect?
Blend each color of a run into the next in soft patches with no hard edges. A flat swatch cannot shimmer, so the look comes from the blending and from what lies under it: white, gray or black.