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I'm having a hard time coming up with a color combination that looks pearlescent.  I tried using very light washes of blue or pink, but that doesn't look right.  I tried adding a bit of silver to white, and that doesn't look right at all. 

So, does anyone here know how to paint a good bright pearly sheen?  Not just on little gems either.  I'm actually looking to use this on dragon scales. 

A.C. moore has pearlescent paints don't know the price i was there today & saw them in a set w/a bunch of different colors. hope that helps

I've seen it done by accident, with someone accidentally mixing metallic and normal paints with a great result - but they couldn't repeat it later, so was a happy accident. The ones Shrew mentions sound a bit more reliable

No need to go to A.C. Moore, try any art store and you should be able to find artist or craft grade pearlescent white acrylic paint. I know Holbein at one time had a white pearlescent paint. Another way to go without buying more paint is alternating very, very thin washes of white and silver over a white base. Blend in pastel blue and pink (nearly white pastel), also in a very thin wash, and you should get the effect you're looking for. Metallic blue or metallic pink with highlights adding ever increasing amounts of white and silver would also work (and be a little easier to accomplish).

Kewl, theres a university art store near here. I like having an excuse to go in there.

If you have access to Reaper Master paints use the 'Pearl White' color tinted with any of the 'Clears' (which are simply base plus pigment),

Rackham's Polished Silver which looks somewhat pearlescent may even work for you when used with Nyarly's suggestions.

Michael's has a large selection of craft paints, in 3 oz bottles, for ~$1. They have some pearlescents, and a couple of pearlescent "finishes" - I haven't used the latter, but they're supposed to be applied overtop of other paint, without covering the original color.

white undercoat

a drop of silver
one part colour paint - approx two shades darker than the wanted colour.
add plenty of water, at least three parts
paint over the white as a watercolour

Depending on the quality of your paint chose a darker shade and water it down further. You want a paint that is as thin as you can make it and still have it stick. Some colours are excellent for this. The current Scab red, is a very dark red and mixes well, you can get a very good pastel red from it with or without a silvering tint. Regal blue doesnt work so well.