Platinum (Pt) is one of the most treasured metals in the world. Known for its durability, rarity and luster, platinum is a symbol of...

Alum has a multi-toned nature. Alum denotes a group of chemical compounds characterized by double sulfate salts. Alums are used across...

Aluminum oxide or alumina (Al2O3) is the secret to the composition and allure of precious gems such as sapphire and ruby. This white,...

Corundum is a mineral composed of aluminum oxide. Living deep within the Earth in an environment of intense heat and pressure, the...

Synthetic sapphires and lab-grown gemstones mimic the brilliance and allure of natural gems while often surpassing them in quality and...

Exquisite gems, sapphires are beautiful stones known for stunning colors and unique properties. Greeks wear sapphire for guidance when...

Indigo, deep blue dye from the Indigofera tinctoria plant, often associated with blue denim, is one of humanity's oldest dyes. The...

Alchemy of the ancients includes skills such as preparation of dyes, pigments and mordants for fabric and stone. Purple dyes are...

Mordants are part of the dyeing process and help achieve vibrant colors. Dyeing fabrics goes back to the Stone Age. Mordants are also...

The Elixir of Life manifests as potion, tea, powder, water, oil or soluble salts. This mystical creation is said to bestow immortality or...

Artists and craftspeople have used plant pigments as a source of color for millennia. Works of art and textile dyes using vegetable...

Earth of Chios is a white to gray powdery mineral soil or fine grained clay found on the Greek island of Chios. Earth of Chios or Chian...

Steam distillation develops from simple and fractional distillation techniques, and is first known to be documented among the Islamic...

Fractional distillation is a technique to separate components of a mixture based on their various boiling points. In this process, a...

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...

Distillation transforms substances through heating, cooling, and separating liquids from solids. It's for brewing spirits, and is an...

Ten metals are used in alchemy since its ancient emergence. They are antimony, bismuth, copper, gold, iron, lead, quicksilver (mercury),...

Salts are ubiquitous in nature and play critical roles in sciences from biology to medicine. In alchemy, salts are standard ingredients....

Renegade physician Paracelsus is one of the most dramatic figures of the European Renaissance. Doctor, alchemist, astrologer,...

Benefactors of literature cultivate intellectual centers of creativity and innovation. Here are five powerful historical patrons whose...