A high temperature stable composition includes a first material and a second material interspersed within the first material so as to form a structure. The composition is structured such that the first and second materials maintain a periodicity of distribution between about 100 nm and about 1000 nm, and the composition is operable to reflect photons having a wavelength greater than about 700 nm and to emit or transmit photons having a wavelength between about 400 nm and about 700 nm at temperatures greater than about 2000 Kelvin for at least about 10 hours. The first material is selected from the group consisting of carbides, nitrides, borides and oxides of transition metals and combinations thereof . The second material comprises a similar compound, a transition metal or a gas phase.