Iridescence

Iridescent ( from Ancient Greek ἶρις Iris, Rainbow ') is an optical phenomenon in which an object appears depending on your perspective in other colors.

Basics

Due to refraction and interference of light on the surface of an object, this object appears in the colors of the rainbow. The colors depend on the viewing angle. Iridescence is known for oysters and bubbles. Because of the intense colors of iridescence is often perceived as beautiful.

Because of the viewing angle dependence of iridescence can not be fully captured with conventional photography, but only by holography.

Biology

In biology iridescence in plants and animals is widespread. The phenomenon is amplified by the wet.

Meteorology

In meteorology, it is called iridescent clouds and nacreous clouds when clouds illuminate in pearl colors. Iridescence is happening here by interference. The colors are on the droplet or ice crystal size and the way the light falls, depending.

Gemstones

Gemstones, their iridescence is well marked, are highly sought after. Through cracks, tears or twinning results in a more or less regular stratification of the material that break the incident light beams and overlap.

Paints and varnishes

Synthetically produced iridescent colors that pearlescent pigments are mixed, finding, among other things as printing inks for the production effect full of stickers as well as effect paint in the automotive industry use.

Pearl luster, luster

A special form of iridescence is the pearly (in short: pearlescent ) or chandelier, named after the silky, iridescent luster of pearls. Again, the regular, concentric layering of nacre for the iridescence is responsible.

Metaphorical

In texts with particularly upscale parlance, the word " iridescent " occasionally used to express rapidly changing, fluctuating, unstable properties of things. Examples: " iridescent floating - music ", " iridescent personality ", " iridescent language".