Difference Analysis of Different Standard Illuminants on Yellow-Green to Green Jadeite-Jade

Under A, CWF, D55, D65, D75 five different illuminants, color differences of 53 natural oval Jadeite-jade with fine texture are analyzed, which color is yellow-green to dark green. All 5 tested lighting sources were compared based on the uniform color space CIE 1976L*a*b*. Jadeite-jade’s lightness L* is increasing when color temperatures of five different standard illuminants increase, and it can reach the very top of 45.72 under D75, so it appears brighter and lighter than any other illuminants and it influences the appraisal of the samples’ color. The spectrum power distribution of D75, D65 and D55 reveal the strong radiant energy in the range from 500 to 570nm, so consequently the color coordinates a*, b* and chroma C* is higher than the other two illuminants. But samples’ lightness and chroma under D55 are weaker compared to D65 and the color under D55 is dark. Meanwhile, D65 stands for the average daylight and color under D65 close to the true color of samples. Because of weakest radiant energy in the range from 500 to 540nm (green area) and strongest radiant energy in the range from 540 to 570nm (orange area) in CWF’s spectrum power distribution, the absolute value of a*=14.01 is lowest and b*=12.93 is highest under CWF, so samples’ color under CWF is green with a yellow tint. The maximum hue angle h0 is 150.42 under A, and the absolute value of a* is higher than that under CWF, so it shows stronger green tone than CWF. It is concluded that D65 is preferred to be ideal illuminants for the evaluation of jadeite-jade color green especially compared with other 4 illuminants.