Dyers, coloring professionals, metal workers and gemologists seek vibrant colors and tones since early civilization. The first use of...

Hematite, an iron oxide mineral, is well-known for its striking metallic luster and deep red to black colorations. Appearing in various...

"Hematite" comes from the ancient Greek for blood. The stone makes red dust when cut and polished. The red color isn't always visible at...

Hematite, an iron oxide mineral with the chemical formula Fe2O3, is prevalent around the world. Known for metallic luster and red earth...

Aqua regia, Latin for “royal water,” is a powerful acidic solution known to dissolve noble metals like gold and platinum. It's used in...

Copperas, known chemically as ferrous sulfate (FeSO₄), has been a vital compound across various industries for centuries. Although...

Caput mortuum (Latin "dead head") is a purple hematite iron oxide pigment, used in oil paints and dyes. Due to cultural significance of...

Alchemy, a fusion of science, philosophy and mysticism, emerges in practice from the 1st century AD. Among the power civilizations of...

Venice during the Renaissance emerges as a vibrant center of art, culture and commerce, influencing the broader European scope. The...

Antonio Neri is a Renaissance Florentine priest, well known for contributions to alchemy and glassmaking. As a youth Neri is drawn to the...

Caput mortuum, Latin for as "dead head" is an ominous name for a valued color. As an iron oxide it's easy to make at home. As a purple...

Although alchemy is often associated with gold-making, another essential skill of the alchemist is to color or dye stones like quartz...

In the medieval world, urine is a surprisingly versatile body fluid with a wide range of applications beyond the obvious disposal...

Urine has medical and practical applications though history. Renaissance alchemist Hennig Brand discovers phosphorus by boiling his...

Tellurium is the Latin word for earth. A brittle, non-malleable silvery white metalloid, tellurium (Te) is a rare element having both...

In Eastern and Western alchemy, the transformation of metals into gold (Au) symbolizes a process of maturation for metal and alchemist....

In alchemy an essential piece of equipment is the hearth or forge. Smelting metal applies heat and a reducing agent to separate one or...

Astrology prospers in the East after the 476 AD fall of the Roman Empire. Indian, Persian, and Islamic writers prolifically translate...

Artemisia annua or sweet wormwood appears in traditional Chinese medicine texts of Ge Hong ( 283 - 364 AD) as an early remedy to treat...

Ge Hong (葛洪; Gě Hóng , 283 - 364 AD), or Zhichuan (稚川) is a Chinese linguist, philosopher, physician, alchemist and writer during the...