Your rare treat needs to be a lot more common. That there is pauper's tea. Also, the way you collect glass and the way you like being frugal and crafty, infused oil is an awesome gift. You can totally make it. Get your groovy bottles, get 'em clean, fill 'em with Bertolli, a sprig of rosemary, some mixed peppercorns and a couple dried chilis and then close 'em up with sealing wax. You can make a presentation-grade gift for like $3. Really, if you started 'em before September you'd have stuff perfectly infused and ready to go for Christmas. (also, french bread is one of the easier bakes - and fresh french bread with a decent olive and balsamic dip and a cheap bottle of wine? mangia) No shade on the infusion. light blue presents better than cobalt would in this instance and the inconsistency is lovely. And yes. it's something the slumpers do. Trick to glass is if you aren't just making stained glass windows or whatever is you end up with some pretty negative heavy metals in your environment. You wanna use adequate ventilation. My wife's wedding ring is an alexandrite. It shifts from blood red to turquoise green depending on the light. I love it 'cuz you have to be a jeweler to know what I spent on it. And yes. Photographic glass is lovely. Me? I love dichroic. 
I love alexandrites! My engagement ring is a London blue topaz because who doesn't want an irradiated rock on their hand? Alexandrite was going to be my second choice. My explaining this to rd95 also just led us on a tour of my jewelry box (I showed him my Alexandrite ring and he thought it was really neat) and then my rock collection. He liked my fluorite octahedrons, smoky quartzes, and labradorites best. Dichroic glass is a lot of fun.
kleinbl00, she pulled out a random red/brown circular thing and said "Do you know what this is?" Of course the answer is no. Know what it was? A MUTHAFUCKING AMMONITE. What kind of cool ass coincidence is that? She showed me all sorts of cool stuff, including various types of quartzes that had their colors changed by radiation and gas. Also, whoever said inclusions are a negative point for gems are fucking idiots. It's so cool seeing pieces of rocks inside other rocks.
Wheels are turning on that gift idea. I'm seriously gonna look into it. I just wanna make sure that if we do that for christmas gifts this year, we do it safely. The last thing I'd want is to get someone sick, which might not be such a big deal for infused olive oil? I know for canning it is.