So this is a phenomenon where a material has two distinct indices of refraction, which has the effect of making you see double when you look through it.
There was also a question about birefringence, which is where a material can have two different indices of refraction causing you to see double when you look through it.
The example you're looking at right now is calcite, and when you're seeing double, it's because light with one polarization is getting bent at a different rate than light with the other polarization.