The property of a material or object that appears to be two different colors depending on the direction of light passing through it or the angle from which it's viewed.
From 'dichromic' + Greek '-ism' (condition or practice). The term crystallized in optical science during the 1800s to describe the specific physical phenomenon of dual-color appearance in crystals and solutions.
Some crystals of tourmaline are so dramatically dichroic that scientists can orient them specifically to show only the color they want—it's like nature's built-in color filter!
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