Iridescence

"...all that vulgar beauty of iridescence...", "Roosters", by Elizabeth Bishop "It is used in nature to recognize organisms of the same species, choose mates, confuse and evade predators -- a useful adaptation -- a shimmer of glittering and changeable colors -- the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to gradually change color as the angle of view or angle of illumination changes -- (ex: soap bubbles, feathers, butterfly wings, seashell nacre, as well as certain minerals) -- an inventive optical trick." Any difference between pearlescent and iridescent? Pearlescent objects have a luster resembling that of mother-of-pearl. Iridescent objects have a lustrous, rainbow-like play of colors caused by differential refraction of light waves -- as in "the object seems to change color as you shift your perspective" -- a shimmer of glittering and changeable colors -- an "inventive optical trick" indeed! Could there not be some among us, who -- perhaps even if for their own purposes, are almost -- almost -- almost truly iridescent?