Opal’s signature brilliance comes from its captivating play of color—a phenomenon where light interacts with the gem’s internal structure to create a shifting display of color on color. It’s what gives opal its hypnotic, three-dimensional glow and sets it apart from every other gem.
Play of Color
How does play of color work?
Play of color is the result of spectral colors created by the orderly arrangement of silica spheres within the structure of opal. In simpler terms: light reflects off tiny, neatly stacked silica spheres. The size of these spheres determines the color you see—reds, greens, deep blues—it’s all in the spacing. In this case, size really does matter!
What is play of color in a gemstone?
Justin dives into what play of color means across different gemstones, and why opal’s version is truly one of a kind.