Colors Without Any Pigment

Structural coloration makes peacock feathers reflect blue, turquoise, and green light.

Microscopic surfaces interfere with visible light instead of using pigments.

European bee-eaters get their blues and greens from structural coloration.

The emerald-patched cattleheart butterfly uses photonic crystals in its wing scales.

Arrays of nano-sized holes have a diameter of about 150 nanometres.

Lamprocyphus augustus weevil scales contain diamond-based crystal lattices oriented everywhere.

Each pixel is a single crystal about a micrometre wide.

The emerald swallowtail butterfly uses selective mirrors for two wavelengths.

Blue-and-yellow macaw feathers use randomly oriented nanochannels for diffuse blue.

Pollia condensata marble berries produce the most brilliant blue. Ever.

Beroe cucumis cilia cause constructive interference across the visible spectrum.