Sylvia Rose
Platinum (Pt): Junk Metal to Pure Treasure
Platinum (Pt) is one of the most treasured metals in the world. Known for its durability, rarity and luster, platinum is a symbol of...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 234 min read
Aluminum(III) Oxide: Secrets of Precious Gemstones
Aluminum oxide or alumina (Al2O3) is the secret to the composition and allure of precious gems such as sapphire and ruby. This white,...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 234 min read
Corundum: Secrets of Valuable Gemstones
Corundum is a mineral composed of aluminum oxide. Living deep within the Earth in an environment of intense heat and pressure, the...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 234 min read
Making Sapphire & other Precious Gemstones
Synthetic sapphires and lab-grown gemstones mimic the brilliance and allure of natural gems while often surpassing them in quality and...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 236 min read
Sapphire Gemstones: Colors, Myths, Origins & Gemology
Exquisite gems, sapphires are beautiful stones known for stunning colors and unique properties. Greeks wear sapphire for guidance when...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 223 min read
Alchemy: Ancient Mordant Recipes for Fabric & Stones
Alchemy of the ancients includes skills such as preparation of dyes, pigments and mordants for fabric and stone. Purple dyes are...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 225 min read
Antimony (Stibnite, Kohl) Ancient Metal of Science & Beauty
Antimony (stibnite, Sb) is one of the elements known by the ancients, a primary source of black powder kajal or kohl. With its silvery...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 213 min read
Mordants - Essential Ancient Dye Techniques
Mordants are part of the dyeing process and help achieve vibrant colors. Dyeing fabrics goes back to the Stone Age. Mordants are also...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 208 min read
Alchemy Processes & Related Astrology Signs
Alchemy and astrology interact on levels of occult arts, principles of science and laws of nature. Just for fun, here are the twelve...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 193 min read
Lunar Caustic AgNO3: Lapis Infernalis of Alchemy
Lunar caustic ( lapis infernalis ), Höllenstein (hellstone) or silver nitrate ( argentinium nitrium ) is esteemed by alchemists of the...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 195 min read
Science of Alchemy: Simple Distillation Process
Simple distillation is a technique of ancient and medieval alchemists. It can be a process on its own or part of a larger work, involving...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 176 min read
10 Alchemical Metals - Ancient Metals of Alchemy
Ten metals are used in alchemy since its ancient emergence. They are antimony, bismuth, copper, gold, iron, lead, quicksilver (mercury),...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 167 min read
The Pseudos: Underground Alchemy Writers
Who said that? Pseudos are writers whose work is falsely attributed to a major figure. The real writer can be one or more. Many share...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 144 min read
Diplosis: Gold Doubling & Multiplication in Alchemy
Displosis is the ancient practice of doubling gold. It's considered to be a skill of alchemists and early metal workers as well. If done...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 143 min read
Ancient Greek Alchemy: ios and iosis
Iosis and ios relate to the final stage of the the alchemical process, or rubedo in Latin. It can be called the reddening or purpling....
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 137 min read
Divine Water: Sulfuric Acid in Alchemy
Divine Water, oil of vitriol or sulfuric acid, scientifically denoted H₂SO₄, is commonly used in alchemy experiments. A mineral acid, it...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 134 min read
Zinc (Zn): Essential Metal in Alchemy & Medicine
Zinc (Zn) is an essential metal of life and one of the four components in the Tetrasomia of Maria in alchemy. The 30th element on the...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 125 min read
Living Metals & Genders in Ancient Alchemy
The Alexandrian alchemists, as philosophers of nature steeped in Greco-Egyptian thinking, define the properties of metals as living...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 124 min read
Gold-Making of Maria: Tetrasomia Four Metals
Known as the first true alchemist, Mary or Maria the Jewess is active in Alexandria c. 100 AD. Her work survives through commentaries...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 114 min read
Eirenaeus Philalethes: Alchemy & Death in Renaissance London
Eirenaeus Philalethes is a pseudonym of London alchemist George Starkey (1628 - 1665). It turns out he needs one. Financially he...
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