Structural colour
Colour produced by microscopic physical structures scattering or reflecting light, rather than by pigment.
Technical definition
Structural colour arises from interference, diffraction or scattering effects at length scales comparable to visible-light wavelengths, rather than from selective light absorption by a pigment molecule.
Common confusion
Structural colour is not the same as a metallic paint finish, though both can produce shifting, iridescent-looking effects.
Example
A peacock feather and a butterfly wing's blue are usually structural colour, not blue pigment — see Colour in Nature for real examples.
Why it matters
Structural colour explains why some of the most vivid blues and iridescent effects in nature involve no blue pigment at all.
Related terms
Sources
- Colourwise editorial synthesis — Colourwise