ID Help & Color Change Vase Question - Michael Shearer?

Found this stout little vase a couple of days ago at Goodwill, cleaned it up late that evening, snapped some pics, and the next morning took it outside for better pics.  "Hey, it's pink now!  But the night before it was bluish."  Took it back to kitchen (daylight now with fluorescent overhead), and it is . . . pinkish.  Move violet, than pink, maybe, but not bluish.  I suppose this is due to the quality of the lights and hope someone here on forum here can provide the explanation.

The vase is made in three lobes, the middle one surrounded by two that wrap around it, forming a lopsided melon shape measuring about 5 3/8" x 5 5/8" - polished base with an etched signature, the first name, I guess, is Michael, tho maybe not.  The second name I can't get further than the first few letters, and then, no matter what combos I've tried, the names don't seem like proper . . names.  For a few guesses I tried Internet searches, but nothing that connect to somebody making blown glass, or crystal.  Please let me know what you think the name is.

Thanks!  

It's Alexandrite (or Neodymium) glass, and changes colour under different wavelengths of light due to the addition of the element Niobium (Neodymium) to the glass.

The glass appears lilac in natural sunlight or yellow artificial light, and smokey blue in flourescent/white light. This is due to the presence of Neodymium oxide (Nd²O³) in the glass.

Wow! Thanks NaomiM! You are a wealth of knowledge. Gosh, but I love this site!

Still could use some help on interpreting the signature!

It reads to me, Michael shearer or something like that.

Just checked on google and there is a Michael shearer in northern California, Spirit art glass : )

Shearer.  Maybe.  Yes! Just googled and found a couple of vases, with the same signature and style of dating at various reseller sites. Also, at Shearer's website, he has more recent vases in the same color glass as this, although his description does not mention if they are Alexandrite glass. Mmm. Curious.