Play of Color
Play of color creates flashes of spectral colors that shift and change with the viewing angle. This is the defining characteristic of precious opal.
2Gemstones
Cause
Light diffraction from silica spheres arranged in a grid pattern
Best Cut
Cabochon or free-form
Gemstones with Play of Color
Explore Other Phenomena
Discover more unique optical effects in gemstones.
View all optical phenomena →
