Nature 7/19

Arcanum Joviale: Alchemy of Sudorific Sweat

Sylvia Rose

Sep 25, 20244 min read

Arcanum Joviale: Alchemy of Sudorific Sweat

Arcanum Joviale is an alchemy medicine made of metal salts, taken to induce sweating. While the term sudorific is introduced in 1626,...

15 views

Platinum (Pt): Junk Metal to Pure Treasure

Sylvia Rose

Sep 24, 20246 min read

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...

12 views

Sylvia Rose

Sep 23, 20243 min read

What is Alum? Origins, Production & Use

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

14 views

Aluminum(III) Oxide: Secrets of Precious Gemstones

Sylvia Rose

Sep 23, 20244 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,...

12 views

Sylvia Rose

Sep 23, 20244 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...

14 views

Making Sapphire & other Precious Gemstones

Sylvia Rose

Sep 23, 20244 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...

7 views

Sapphire Gemstones: Colors, Myths, Origins & Gemology

Sylvia Rose

Sep 23, 20246 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...

11 views

Indigo: Extract Dye from Indigofera Tinctoria

Sylvia Rose

Sep 22, 20244 min read

Indigo: Extract Dye from Indigofera Tinctoria

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

10 views

Alchemy: Ancient Mordant Recipes for Fabric & Stones

Sylvia Rose

Sep 22, 20243 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...

16 views

Mordants - Essential Ancient Dye Techniques

Sylvia Rose

Sep 21, 20243 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...

14 views

10 Wise Plants & Herbs for the Elixir of Life

Sylvia Rose

Sep 21, 20245 min read

10 Wise Plants & Herbs for the Elixir of Life

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

30 views

Natural Colors: How to Extract Plant Pigments

Sylvia Rose

Sep 20, 20244 min read

Natural Colors: How to Extract Plant Pigments

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

18 views

Earth of Chios: Ancient Alchemy, Cosmetics, & Medicine

Sylvia Rose

Sep 20, 20244 min read

Earth of Chios: Ancient Alchemy, Cosmetics, & Medicine

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...

15 views

Steam Distillation in Ancient & Medieval Alchemy

Sylvia Rose

Sep 19, 20244 min read

Steam Distillation in Ancient & Medieval Alchemy

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

6 views

Fractional Distillation: Ancient & Medieval Alchemy Processes

Sylvia Rose

Sep 19, 20242 min read

Fractional Distillation: Ancient & Medieval Alchemy Processes

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

4 views

Science of Alchemy: Simple Distillation Process

Sylvia Rose

Sep 19, 20246 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...

49 views

Distillation in Alchemy: Ancient Process & Equipment

Sylvia Rose

Sep 18, 20245 min read

Distillation in Alchemy: Ancient Process & Equipment

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

13 views

10 Alchemical Metals - Ancient Metals of Alchemy

Sylvia Rose

Sep 17, 20246 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),...

20 views

Alchemical Salt: Essential Salts of Alchemy

Sylvia Rose

Sep 17, 20245 min read

Alchemical Salt: Essential Salts of Alchemy

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

44 views

Paracelsus: Renegade Renaissance Physician

Sylvia Rose

Sep 16, 20244 min read

Paracelsus: Renegade Renaissance Physician

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

50 views