Loose gemstones

Iolites

Iolite is the pleochroic one. Look down one axis and it is a deep violet-blue; turn the crystal ninety degrees and the same stone goes pale straw or nearly colorless. Nothing about that changes after cutting, which means the cutter chose the color you see when they chose which way to orient the rough — and it is why two iolites of identical weight can look nothing alike.

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