Your Questions About Opalescent | Sparkling Diamonds and Gemstones

Rubies, Emeralds, Diamonds and More

March 21st, 2011 by admin

Nancy asks…

Slice ham lunchmeat has an opalescent look to it, is that normal?

Why is it that the piece of ham that I had on my sandwhich today had an opalescent look to it, this is the second time I've noticed that with ham as lunchmeat. Any thoughts?

admin answers:

That opalescent look to slice ham lunchmeat is perfectly normal.

Chris asks…

How to recreate the pearl/opalescent look of antique white milk glass on wood with faux paint techniques?

I have some old glass door book cases that I have been wanting to refinish this way for some time. They are painted white but the finish is cracked & peeling...I don't care for the crackled look. I have dark navy for the interior and want a subtle NOT over powering effect for the exterior. Any suggestions will be deeply appreciated.

admin answers:

MsJW, there's a forum filled with faux finish experts at http://www.muralsplus.com Register, then post on their "message board" I bet folks with a great deal of experience will give you answers within a few hours. They have so many members. Most of the time they talk shop and that's how I know I'm over my head. Still, I like to read casually and I try to pick up the lingo for fun and learning.

Donna asks…

What is the definition of the word "opalescent"?

I've found definitions such as "exhibiting a milky iridescence like that of an opal" and "having shimmering changing reflections, like opal", but which one is the most commonly used for meaning of that word? Please post your answer if you know which of these is most commonly meant when people use this word. If you know that the most commonly used meaning isn't one of the ones that I've posted here, well feel free to post that in your answer. Thank you .

admin answers:

The second definition is just the definition of iridescence so the full definition would be exhibiting a milky, shimmering changing reflections like that of an opal.
Scintillating is another term frequently used.

Lisa asks…

Why do opalescent squid make an excellent choice for medical researchers that are studying nerve cells?

admin answers:

Because squid have much larger diameter nerve fibers, because they have simpler nervous systems and the axons of the neurons are unmyelinated they must compensate by having much thicker neurons to transmit action potentials at the same speed..... Basically because they are larger and similar to human nerves, so they are easier to see and therefore easier to research.