Interference pigments comprising a layer of silicon oxide

1. A pigment, comprising

(A) optionally a layer consisting of a metal,

(B) at least one layer, which is located between the layers (A) and (C), if a layer (A) is present, and consists of the metal, silicon (Si) and oxygen (O), obtained by calcination of plane-parallel structures (flakes) comprising at least one layer consisting of a metal and at least one layer consisting of SiO z with 0.70≦z≦2.0, in a non-oxidizing atmosphere and

(C) optionally a layer consisting of SiO z on layer (B), wherein 0.70≦z≦2.0,

wherein the metal of layer A. when present. is the metal of layer B.

2. A pigment according to claim 1 , comprising layer (B) and

(C) at least one layer consisting of SiO z on layer (B), wherein 0.70≦z≦2.0.

3. A pigment according to claim 2 , wherein 1.40≦z≦2.0.

4. A textile, coating, paint, printing ink, plastic, composition, cosmetic preparation, or a glaze for ceramic and glass, comprising a pigment according to claim 2 .

5. The pigment according to claim 1 , comprising

(C1) a layer consisting of SiO z ,

(B) which is located between the layers (C1) and (C2),

(C2) at least one layer consisting of SiO z on layer (B), wherein 0.70≦z≦2.0.

6. The pigment according to claim 5 , comprising

(D) an additional layer of a material having an index of refraction greater than about 1.65.

7. The pigment according to claim 6 , comprising

(D1) a layer of a material having an index of refraction greater than about 1.65,

(C1) a layer consisting of SiO z ,

layer (B) which is located between the layers (C1) and (C2),

(C2) a layer consisting of SiO z , and

(D2) a layer of a material having an index of refraction greater than about 1.65,

wherein 0.70≦z≦2.0.

8. A pigment according to claim 7 , wherein 1.40≦z≦2.0.

9. The pigment according to claim 7 , wherein the material comprising layers (D1) and (D2) is TiO 2 .

10. The pigment according to claim 6 , wherein the material comprising the additional layer (D) having a high index of refraction is selected from the group consisting of TiO 2 , amorphous carbon, diamond-like carbon and silicon carbide.

11. The pigment according to claim 5 having the following layer structure:

TiO 2 /SiO z /core/SiO z /TiO 2 , wherein the core is formed of a layer (B) or of a layer (B)/layer (A)/layer (B), wherein the layer (B) is present on the plane-parallel faces, but not the side faces of layer (A), wherein the SiO z layer is only present on the plane-parallel faces, but not the side faces and the TiO 2 layer is applied to the whole surface; SiC/SiO z /core/SiO z /SiC, or

C/SiO z /core/SiO z /C, wherein 0.70≦z≦2.0.

12. The pigment according to claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from Ag, Al, Cu, Cr, Mo, Ni, Ti, or alloys thereof.

13. A textile, coating, paint, printing ink, plastic composition, cosmetic preparation, or a glaze for ceramic and glass, comprising a pigment according to claim 1 .

14. A pigment according to claim 1 , wherein 1.40≦z≦2.0.

15. A textile, coating, paint, printing ink, plastic, composition, cosmetic preparation, or a glaze for ceramic and glass, comprising a pigment according to claim 14 .

16. A pigment, obtained by calcination of plane-parallel structures (flakes), comprising (A) at least one layer consisting of a metal and (C) at least one layer consisting of SiO z with 0.70≦z≦2.0, in a non-oxidizing atmosphere and optionally coating of the obtained flakes with further layers.

17. A textile, coating, paint, printing ink, plastic, composition, cosmetic preparation, or a glaze for ceramic and glass, comprising a pigment according to claim 16 .