OPTICAL ELEMENT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical element, which exhibits a superior effect of cutting heat rays in a wide wavelength range in a longer wavelength side area of near-infrared rays, is desirable from the viewpoint of protecting eyes, and gives cool feeling to a user by cutting heat rays in intense heat, when the element is applied to a lens such as spectacle lens.SOLUTION: The optical element includes a multilayer inorganic vapor deposition film 16 on at least one surface of a transparent substrate 10. The inorganic vapor deposition film 16 includes, sequentially from the substrate side, a heat ray cutting composite layer and an optical composite layer. The heat ray cutting composite layer is composed of: a metal layer comprising or based on at least one metal element (for example, Ag) selected from the group 10 in a periodical table; and an adhesive layer comprising titania (including a compound oxide) adjoining to upper and lower faces of the metal layer.