opalesce
Show milky luster
To opalesce is to exhibit a milky, iridescent play of colors like an opal—shifting between pale blues, greens, and pinks as light hits from different angles.
The effect appears in certain minerals, glass, and liquids: The soap bubble opalesced before it popped.
The adjective opalescent describes this shimmering, pearly quality.
Iridescent shell coating
- mother-of-pearlIridescent inner shell coating
- lustrousSoftly bright, reflective
- milkyWhitish and cloudy
- creamySmooth and rich
moonstone · labradorite · abalone · sheen · luminous · satin · silky · smooth
Tremulous, wavering light
- glimmerFaint, wavering light
- gleamFaint reflected light
- glowSteady, soft light
- rainbowRefracted light arc
prism · spectrum · play-of-color · diffraction · refraction · prismatic · holographic · kaleidoscopic
nacre
Iridescent shell coating
- mother-of-pearlIridescent inner shell coating
- lustrousSoftly bright, reflective
- milkyWhitish and cloudy
creamy · moonstone · labradorite · abalone · sheen · luminous · satin · silky · smooth · delicate
shimmer
Tremulous, wavering light
rainbow · prism · spectrum · play-of-color · diffraction · refraction · prismatic · holographic · kaleidoscopic · chromaticity
diaphanous
Delicately translucent
misty · filmy · gauzy · semi-transparent · veiled · frosted · diffused · moonstone · ethereal · wispy
cabochon
Domed, unfaceted gemstone