Rocks & Minerals 2/4

Radioactive Gas: Radon (Rn) Noble & Deadly

Sylvia Rose

Oct 28, 20245 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...

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Sylvia Rose

Oct 26, 20247 min read

Sodium Silicate: Alchemy of Water Glass

Sodium silicate or "water glass" or liquid glass, originates in ancient practices. A chemical compound, sodium silicate is composed of...

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Sodium Carbonate: Natural Formation to Modern Application

Sylvia Rose

Oct 25, 20245 min read

Sodium Carbonate: Natural Formation to Modern Application

Sodium carbonate, also known as soda ash or washing soda, is prominent across various industries for millennia. It's used in ancient and...

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Etch Carnelian Beads Like It's Indus Valley 2500 BCE

Sylvia Rose

Oct 24, 20245 min read

Etch Carnelian Beads Like It's Indus Valley 2500 BCE

The Indus Valley Civilization of the Bronze Age is one of the earliest urban societies, famous for trade, inventiveness and extraordinary...

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Talc (Magnesium Silicate): Beauty, Art & Industry

Sylvia Rose

Oct 18, 20245 min read

Talc (Magnesium Silicate): Beauty, Art & Industry

Talc or hydrated magnesium silicate is a naturally occurring mineral, primarily composed of magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. With its...

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Paints of the Artist's Palette in Renaissance Europe

Sylvia Rose

Oct 17, 20246 min read

Paints of the Artist's Palette in Renaissance Europe

Artists of Renaissance Europe cultivate palettes rich in colors sourced from elements both enchanting and lethal. The Renaissance is...

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Hildegard von Bingen: Nature, Music & Beer

Sylvia Rose

Oct 11, 20243 min read

Hildegard von Bingen: Nature, Music & Beer

Hildegard von Bingen is a German Benedictine abbess and polymath often called the Sibyl (Prophetess) of the Rhine. She transcends...

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Sylvia Rose

Oct 6, 20243 min read

Niter (Saltpeter): Science of Alchemy

Niter or saltpeter (KNO3) is the mineral form of potassium nitrate. A soft substance easy to grind, it creates colorless to white...

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Alchemy & the Magnum Opus - Black White Yellow Red

Sylvia Rose

Oct 5, 20244 min read

Alchemy & the Magnum Opus - Black White Yellow Red

The Magnum Opus or Great Work is the goal of alchemists. From ancient Alexandria and the wisdom of Maria the Prophetess comes a color...

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Best Mortar & Pestles for Artists, Chefs, Scientists

Sylvia Rose

Oct 1, 20244 min read

Best Mortar & Pestles for Artists, Chefs, Scientists

The mortar and pestle as a unit is about 35,000 years old. With many varieties available today it's important to choose the best mortar...

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Chemistry of Rust: Minerals & Pigment Colors

Sylvia Rose

Oct 1, 20245 min read

Chemistry of Rust: Minerals & Pigment Colors

Rust, the reddish-brown coating that forms on iron or steel due to exposure to oxygen and moisture is a fascinating display of chemistry....

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Chalcedony Gems: Secrets of Silicon Dioxide

Sylvia Rose

Sep 30, 20245 min read

Chalcedony Gems: Secrets of Silicon Dioxide

Silicon dioxide (SiO₂), or silica, holds fascinating secrets within its molecular structure. It's one of the most abundant minerals found...

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Carbuncle: Red Stone of Magic & Medicine

Sylvia Rose

Sep 30, 20245 min read

Carbuncle: Red Stone of Magic & Medicine

Carbuncle has many meanings. Today it most often describes a deep red almandine garnet gemstone cut with a smooth, convex face or...

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Magnetite: Ubiquitous Iron Ore with Soul

Sylvia Rose

Sep 29, 20245 min read

Magnetite: Ubiquitous Iron Ore with Soul

Magnetite is an iron ore formed below the earth's surface. As one of the primary iron ores it keeps the wheels of progress turning....

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Natural Iron Oxide Pigments: Extraction, Types & Colors

Sylvia Rose

Sep 29, 20243 min read

Natural Iron Oxide Pigments: Extraction, Types & Colors

Iron oxides create beautiful pigments in colors from warm yellow and orange to deep reds, brown, black and even green. Besides industry...

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Seven Precious Stones of the Ancient World

Sylvia Rose

Sep 29, 20249 min read

Seven Precious Stones of the Ancient World

Precious stones are made by economic supply and demand. First, however, they're formed by fire and pressure for millions of years. Prized...

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Litharge: Toxic Lead Mineral of Science & Art

Sylvia Rose

Sep 28, 20243 min read

Litharge: Toxic Lead Mineral of Science & Art

Litharge (PbO) is a lead oxide mineral with an alpha and beta structure. It's among the most prominent of the lead oxides known due to...

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Arcanum Duplicatum: Double Secret of Alchemy

Sylvia Rose

Sep 26, 20243 min read

Arcanum Duplicatum: Double Secret of Alchemy

Arcanum Duplicatum is known by many names: sulphate of potash, arcanite, potash of sulfur, potassium sulfate. An inorganic compound, it...

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Oil of Philosophers: Alchemy Health & Beauty

Sylvia Rose

Sep 25, 20243 min read

Oil of Philosophers: Alchemy Health & Beauty

Oil of Brick is known as Oil of Philosophers by alchemists and Oleum de Lateribus (Oil on the Sides) by apothecaries. This medicinal and...

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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...

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