Birefringence is one of the more interesting phenomena seen in gems. You see this as stones polarizing light and sending it out in more than one direction, in what is called double refraction. Birefringence is essentially a measure of how much double refraction a gem possesses, and is one of the factors that allow gemologists to identify certain stones. It is comparable to the tests used to determine authenticity of a 1.1 carat diamond ring.