Final answer:
A high-quality diamond may sparkle with flashes of brilliant color when illuminated by white light due to a phenomenon called dispersion.
Step-by-step explanation:
A high-quality diamond may sparkle with flashes of brilliant color when illuminated by white light due to a phenomenon called dispersion. Dispersion is the splitting of white light into its component colors as it passes through a medium, such as a diamond. It occurs because different colors of light have different wavelengths, and these wavelengths are refracted differently as they pass through the diamond's facets.
When white light enters a diamond, it slows down and bends, or refracts. The refraction causes the light to change direction and separates the colors. Each color is refracted at a slightly different angle due to its wavelength. As a result, the different colors of light exit the diamond at different angles.
When these refracted colors reach the eye, they appear as flashes of brilliant color, or what we commonly refer to as the diamond's sparkle. The dispersion of light in a diamond is due to its high refractive index and ability to transmit all visible wavelengths with little absorption.