1) Vibrations and simple excitations cause color through incandescence when objects are heated, through gas excitations like in neon signs, and through molecular vibrations and rotations like in water producing a pale blue color.
2) Transitions involving ligand field effects produce colors in transition metal compounds and impurities through splitting of d-orbital energies, as seen in turquoise and emerald.
3) Geometrical and physical optics induce color through effects like dispersive refraction creating rainbows, scattering producing the blue sky, and diffraction in opal.