License plate jewels

The term "license plate jewel" is commonly used to refer to a bolt with an ornamental clear or colored glass or plastic head that fastens a vehicle registration plate to a bracket on the body of a motor vehicle and that also acts as a reflector. Traditionally the front-facing license plate uses clear, amber or green reflectors while the rear-facing plate uses red reflectors. Other colors available have included blue and purple. These have been manufactured in varied styles over the decades but the two most common types are the prismatic reflector jewels and the older nonprismatic "cat-eye" or cataphote. Recent technology has permitted the use of internal lighting in newer designs. The usages of license plate jewels are generally legal everywhere as long as the readability of the plate is not hampered and, in the case of illuminated jewels, only red or amber colors are displayed to the rear.

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