Encyclopedia

iridescence

iridescence (ir"udes'uns) [key], exhibition of rainbowlike colors on a surface. It usually results from interference when light composed of different wavelengths is reflected from the superficial layers of organic or inorganic substances, e.g., minerals, mother-of-pearl, and the feathers of birds. Iridescence greatly enhances the value of certain gems.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

More on iridescence from Fact Monster:

  • Belleek ware - Belleek ware Belleek ware , pottery with a highly lustrous and often iridescent glaze. It is made ...
  • chalcopyrite - chalcopyrite chalcopyrite or copper pyrites, brass-yellow mineral, sometimes with an iridescent ...
  • mother-of-pearl - mother-of-pearl mother-of-pearl or nacre, the iridescent substance that forms the lining of the ...
  • butterfly: Coloration - Coloration The Lepidoptera, especially the butterflies, are known for the beautiful colors and ...
  • starling - starling starling, any of a group of originally Old World birds that have become distributed ...

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Physics