opalescence
Sign in to savethumb|Rough sample of common opal thumb|Rough sample of precious opal, showing iridescence
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- optical phenomenon
- Image
- Opal banded.jpg
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- partially coincident with
- iridescence
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Encyclopedic overview
5 sectionsContents
- Definition
- Mechanism
- Fluids
- See also
- References
thumb|Rough sample of common opal thumb|Rough sample of precious opal, showing iridescence
Opalescence or play of color is an optical phenomenon associated with the mineraloid gemstone opal, a hydrated silicon dioxide. This effect appears as a milky, translucent glow that changes with the angle of light, often creating a soft, pearly sheen that can display various colors or hues. Opalescence can be seen in materials like certain minerals, glass, and even fluids.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “opalescence” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.