Allochromatic

/ˌæloʊkroʊˈmætɪk/ adjective

Definition

Describing something that has color from an outside source rather than from its own chemical composition.

Etymology

From allo- (other) + chromatic (from Greek chroma, color). Used in mineralogy to distinguish minerals colored by impurities from those colored intrinsically.

Kelly Says

A ruby and a sapphire are actually the same mineral (corundum), but tiny amounts of different elements make them different colors—the mineral itself is just colorless underneath!

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