top of page


Metal Salts: Ancient History to Modern DIY
Metal salts are compounds created from metals and acids. In history and today they enjoy uses in beauty, natural health, chemical...

Sylvia Rose
Nov 2, 20246 min read


Silverpoint Drawing: Art of the Renaissance
Silverpoint is a drawing medium with distinct artistic potential. This delicate and precise medium has a rich history, unique properties,...

Sylvia Rose
Nov 2, 20245 min read


11 Favorite Drawing Mediums of Artists
Drawing is a creative expression for humans since cave paintings of prehistory. In art, anything making a mark is a drawing tool....

Sylvia Rose
Nov 1, 20248 min read


Sanguine: Red Chalk of Renaissance Masters
Sanguine is a rich, reddish-brown chalk beloved by Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo. Creating flesh-like tones in the human form...

Sylvia Rose
Nov 1, 20245 min read


Guar Gum: Unique Qualities for Art & Crafts
Guar gum is recognized for its unique natural properties in visual arts and crafting. From enhancing textures to creating custom paints,...

Sylvia Rose
Nov 1, 20245 min read


Cupriavidus metallidurans: Metal Eating Gold Making Bacterium
Cupriavidus metallidurans has an extraordinary ability to prosper in toxic environments. Not only does it survive, it turns toxic metals...

Sylvia Rose
Nov 1, 20245 min read


Mosaic Gold: Alchemy of a Forgotten Art
Mosaic gold is also known to alchemists as aurum musivum or aurum mosaicum due to its mottled formation. Forgotten in the data fields...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 31, 20243 min read


Chloroauric Acid: Gold Salts & Extraction
Chloroauric acid H[AuCl4] is a yellow solution created in the 18th century. A gold(III) salt, chloroauric acid is an innovative compound,...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 31, 20243 min read


Aromatic Cold Oil Infusions: DIY Alchemy Perfumes
Aromatic cold infused oil is a rich artisan tradition of culture and the art of allure. This ancient form of perfume-making connects...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 31, 20244 min read


Artisan Perfumery: Four Degrees of Fragrance
Perfumes are grouped according to their strengths. Every fragrance has a purpose, from a fresh splash of rose or mint to mysterious...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 30, 20243 min read


DIY Perfume Artisans: Top, Middle & Base Notes
DIY perfumes are all about crafting a unique signature scent or giving fragrance as a gift, the benefits of aromatherapy and expression...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 30, 20243 min read


Practical Alchemy of DIY Perfumes & Aromas
The alchemy of perfumes goes back thousands of years. Here are the practical aspects of perfumes in ancient and medieval times, how...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 30, 20244 min read


Alchemy of Perfumes: Scents, Cologne, Rose Water
Perfumes are prized in ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China. The word “perfume” comes from Latin per fumum ,...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 30, 20243 min read


Science of Alchemy: Hydrochloric Acid
Hydrochloric acid is a powerful chemical. Used from old alchemical practices to modern times, this colorless, pungent-smelling liquid is...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 29, 20245 min read


Powder of Algaroth: Antimony Oxychloride Purgative
Antimony oxychloride or Powder of Algaroth is a compound first appearing in 15th century Europe. During the Renaissance Powder of...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 29, 20244 min read


Amoebae: Microbial Predators on the Move
Amoebas live in nearly all environments of Earth. Unique adaptations and survival strategies of these canny microorganisms make them...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 29, 20247 min read


Malevolent Microfungi: Hazards of Health & Home
Microfungi are invisible organisms until they flourish and form colonies. Among these are malevolent microbes dangerous to health, crops,...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 28, 20245 min read


12 Steps to the Magnum Opus: Ripley Scroll
Alchemy seeks the magnum opus or great work. This twelve step program comes from the anonymous Ripley Scroll, so called as alchemist...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 28, 20247 min read


Radioactive Gas: Radon (Rn) Noble & Deadly
Radon (Rn) is part of the noble gas family. Colorless, odorless, and tasteless, radon presents unique characteristics and effects on...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 28, 20245 min read


Prussic Acid: Secrets of Hydrogen Cyanide
Prussic acid, widely known as hydrogen cyanide (HCN), has a rich history and unique properties as one of the most notorious compounds of...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 27, 20244 min read
bottom of page