Hello!

I am new to the cake world and am learning about all the different dusts. I know petal dust is for flowers but I don't really understand the difference between luster dust and pearl dust. What is it? What would you use luster dust for versus pearl dust?

Also, what website do you recommend purchasing these dusts from? Are there any sets out there?

Sorry for all the questions, any help is very much appreciated!

No real difference. Luster dust is "pearlized". I guess you could separate them into colors versus white (pearl) or metallics. Non-pearlized dust is just matte petal dust that doesn't have something added to it to give it a shiny, pearly finish.

For edible, FDA approved dust--both matte and pearlized--you can find them at sugarpaste.com

For items that will NOT be eaten and will be removed from the cake, you can google luster dust and lots of sources for non-toxic, but inedible dusts will come up.

Rae

Pearl dusts are pearly white colors. Some have iridescent color with them. Such was red pearl dusts has a hint of red iridescence to the color.

Luster dusts are shimmery dusts that come in all sorts of colors, from the metal colors to any other color.

The only difference is Wiltons. What Wilton calls pearl dusts, with the exception of the white, is what the rest of the cake world calls luster dusts. Wilton's Pearl and Color Dusts (the flat colors, generally known as petal custs) are FDA approved.

Thank you both so much! I really appreciate the help!