A is also for Andalusite

Andalusite is a really interesting stone. It is pleochroic, meaning that it when viewed from different directions different colors are evident. When faceted, the stone sparkes with reddish-brown, olive green, and brownish-red. The best colour play is seen in fancy shapes. In round cuts, the colours blend together.

The stone is quite hard with a hardness of 7.5. It is durable and wears well. It quite often features inclusions, among the most common of which are rutiles (or needles). Andalusite is untreated.

First found in Andalusia, Spain (hence its name), this stone is also found in Austria, Brazil, Russia, Canada, Sri Lanka, China, and the US (California).