Buy metallic pencils for accents, not full pages
Metallic colored pencils are best for accents in coloring books: stars, jewelry, keys, ornaments, dragon scales, moonlit water, gift wrap, lettering, hardware, and small highlights. They can color larger shapes, but shimmer effects are easiest to appreciate when metallic pencil sits next to matte colored pencil or darker surrounding color.
Sources were checked on August 3, 2026. This guide uses manufacturer facts and editorial interpretation. Coloring Book Hub has not physically tested these sets on the same coloring-book pages, so this is not a hands-on ranking of core breakage, opacity, sharpening, smudge behavior, or exact shimmer strength.
Quick picks
| Pick | Publisher-verified facts | Best fit | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derwent Metallic Pencils | Derwent describes a 20-color Metallic range with highly metallic pencils that blend and layer and are useful on white, black, and colored paper. | Adults who want the richest dedicated metallic accent range. | More specialized than an everyday coloring set. |
| Faber-Castell Black Edition Metallic | Faber-Castell lists a 12-count Black Edition Metallic colored-pencil set with named metallic colors in a cardboard box. | Colorists who want metallic effects in a familiar colored-pencil workflow. | Smaller range than Derwent's dedicated metallic line. |
| Faber-Castell Metallic Colored Pencils, 10 count | Faber-Castell describes 10 pre-sharpened metallic colored pencils with break-resistant construction and effects on colored paper. | Casual users who want a compact shimmer set. | Positioned more broadly for kids and general art use. |
| Crayola Metallic Colored Pencils, 8 count | Crayola lists eight presharpened metallic colored pencils: green, blue, purple, mauve, gold, silver, copper, and bronze. | Beginners, family supplies, and occasional metallic details. | Limited color range and less adult-specialist positioning. |
Best dedicated adult pick: Derwent Metallic Pencils
Publisher-verified facts: Derwent's Metallic Pencils page describes shimmering metallic pencils that blend together and are designed for vivid effects, especially on dark paper. Derwent's pencil selection guide lists the Metallic range as 20 colors and says the pencils are useful on white, black, and colored paper.
Editorial interpretation: Derwent is the best fit when metallic effects are the point of the purchase. The wider range matters because a metallic set with only gold, silver, copper, and a few accent colors can start to repeat quickly in fantasy, space, holiday, and decorative pages. A 20-color metallic range gives more room for cool shadows, warm highlights, and colored shine.
Who it is for: adults coloring fantasy scenes, starry skies, decorative mandalas, jewelry, keys, ornaments, dragons, underwater treasure, or dark-background pages.
Who should skip it: readers who only need one gold pencil and one silver pencil, or anyone trying to build a first complete colored-pencil set.
Hands-on observation: none recorded.
Best compact colored-pencil-style set: Faber-Castell Black Edition Metallic
Publisher-verified facts: Faber-Castell lists the Black Edition Metallic set as 12 metallic colored pencils. The manufacturer names the included colors as gold, metallic yellow, bronze, metallic red, metallic aqua green, metallic green, metallic light blue, metallic blue, metallic pink, metallic purple, silver, and metallic dark grey.
Editorial interpretation: This is the most balanced compact set for regular coloring-book users. It reads less like a specialist art supply and more like an add-on to a normal pencil case. The color names suggest enough warm, cool, and neutral accents for jewelry, night skies, flowers, and fantasy details without asking the reader to manage a large set.
Who it is for: colorists who already own standard pencils and want a small metallic add-on for highlights.
Who should skip it: readers who want maximum metallic variety, or who want manufacturer-verified behavior on a specific paper type before buying.
Hands-on observation: none recorded.
Best casual starter: Crayola Metallic Colored Pencils
Publisher-verified facts: Crayola lists an 8-count Metallic Colored Pencils set with presharpened tips and soft cores. The listed colors are green, blue, purple, mauve, gold, silver, copper, and bronze. Crayola identifies the set as safe and nontoxic for kids ages 5 and up.
Editorial interpretation: Crayola makes sense when the goal is low-friction metallic accents, family use, or a first experiment. The eight-color range is enough to learn whether metallic pencils fit your pages. It is not the most nuanced adult coloring option, but it can handle small stars, coins, ornaments, labels, and simple fantasy details.
Who it is for: beginners, casual colorists, and families sharing supplies.
Who should skip it: adults who already know they want richer metallic layering or a broader color range.
Hands-on observation: none recorded.
How to choose the right metallic set
Choose Derwent if metallic shine is a recurring part of your coloring style. It is the most defensible editorial pick for adults because the range is broader and the official product language centers metallic effects.
Choose Faber-Castell Black Edition Metallic if you want a compact add-on that behaves like a colored-pencil set. The named color spread gives you more than the basic gold-silver-copper trio without taking over your supply bag.
Choose Crayola if you want to test the category before committing. Keep expectations realistic: it is a small general-use set, not a specialty adult-coloring recommendation.
What metallic pencils will not do
Metallic colored pencils will not replace good value contrast. A pale gold pencil on a white page can disappear if the surrounding colors are also light. Build a matte base first, darken the nearby shadow, then add metallic pencil as the final accent. On very smooth coloring-book paper, use lighter pressure at first because heavy pressure can flatten the surface before you know how the pencil behaves.
Bottom line
For most adults, Derwent Metallic Pencils are the strongest dedicated metallic choice. Faber-Castell Black Edition Metallic is the more compact everyday add-on. Crayola Metallic Colored Pencils are best treated as a simple starter or shared family set. In every case, metallic pencils work best as controlled accents beside ordinary colored pencils.
Sources
- Derwent, "Derwent Metallic Pencils," checked August 3, 2026: derwentart.us
- Derwent, "Choose Your Pencil," checked August 3, 2026: derwentart.us
- Faber-Castell USA, "Metallic Colored Pencils | Black Edition 12 Colors," checked August 3, 2026: fabercastell.com
- Faber-Castell USA, "Metallic Colored Pencils | Art Supplies for Kids," checked August 3, 2026: fabercastell.com
- Crayola, "Metallic Colored Pencils, 8 Count," checked August 3, 2026: crayola.com