To provide an optical element capable of suppressing the degradation of polarization characteristic of a polarizing plate due to the temperature rise of the polarizing plate as compared with a conventional optical element.

The optical element 1 is provided with the polarizing plate 10 composed of a polarizing layer 12, a translucent substrate 20 stuck to one surface of the polarizing layer 12 of the polarizing plate 10 and the other translucent substrate 30 stuck to the other surface of the polarizing layer 12 of the polarizing plate 10. Each of the translucent substrate 20 and the other translucent substrate 30 is composed of sapphire to be an inorganic material.

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