Scratch-resistant articles with retained optical properties

An article comprising:

• an inorganic oxide substrate having opposing major surfaces;
• an optical film structure disposed on a first major surface of the inorganic oxide substrate, the optical film structure comprising a first layer comprising an aluminum-containing nitride, an aluminum-containing oxy-nitride, an aluminum-containing oxide or a combination thereof, and a second layer disposed on the first layer,
• wherein the optical film structure exhibits a hardness of 16 GPa or greater, as measured by a diamond Berkovitch indenter test,
• wherein the article exhibits an average transmittance of 85% or more over the visible spectrum, and one or more of
• a color transmittance in the (L, a*, b*) colorimetry system having transmittance color coordinates when viewed at normal incidence, such that the distance between the transmittance color coordinates and a reference point is less than about 2, and
• a color reflectance in the (L, a*, b*) colorimetry system having reflectance color coordinates when viewed at normal incidence, such that the distance between the reflectance color coordinates and a reference point is less than about 2,
• wherein the reference point comprising at least one of the color coordinates (a*=0, b*=0) and the color coordinates of the substrate, and
• wherein, when the reference point is the color coordinates of the substrate, the distance equals √((a*article−a*substrate)2+(b*article−b*substrate)2), and
• wherein, when the reference point is the color coordinates (a*=0, b*=0), the distance equals √((a*article)2+(b*article)2).