THE CLEAR VISION GUIDE

Abbe value (V) explained

A material dispersion measure; a higher value generally means less colour separation under the same convention.

Lens design and materials

How to understand it

Compare actual material data and reference conventions. The wearer’s experience also depends on power, viewing direction and fitting.

An example

A coloured fringe on a high-contrast border through the lens side is a useful observation to report.

A common mix-up

The Abbe value cannot independently predict the overall quality of a finished pair.

See the idea in a full guide →

Sources & verification

Page updated:

Related terms

All glossary terms →

Share this page

Pass a little clarity along.

Clear Lens sharing cover
Save cover