OPALESCENCE

opalescence, iridescence

(noun) the visual property of something having a milky brightness and a play of colors from the surface

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

opalescence (countable and uncountable, plural opalescences)

the state of being opalescent

(physics) the milky iridescent appearance of a dense transparent medium when it is illuminated by polychromatic visible radiation (such as sunlight) due to local fluctuations in its density and therefore in its refractive index

Source: Wiktionary

O`pal*es"cence, n. (Min.)

Definition: A reflection of a milky or pearly light from the interior of a mineral, as in the moonstone; the state or quality of being opalescent.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition