Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust, next to oxygen. A ductile metalloid, it's integral to industry and...

Nickel (Ni), a silvery-white metal with a lustrous sheen, is a transition element essential to industry and commerce, and known in...

Cobalt is a silvery grey metal used across various fields, including science, medicine, and industry. It receives its name from the...

Glass of antimony , or vitrum antimonii , gives warm yellow or red hues. As Sb2O3, its use in alchemy is largely medicinal, one of many...

Sporosarcina pasteurii is a gram-positive bacterium with the extraordinary ability to precipitate calcite and solidify sand when exposed...

Calcium (Ca) is a vital element in life and health on Earth. A silvery white metal, calcium is a strong builder, from bone structure to...

Liver of Sulfur is a unique compound of alchemy, metallurgy and medicine. Also known as hepar sulfuris or sulfurated potash, Liver of...

Metal salts are compounds created from metals and acids. In history and today they enjoy uses in beauty, natural health, chemical...

Toxic heavy metals cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, and arsenic are elements known for high density and toxicity even in small amounts....

Carbon steel is an essential material in various industries, renowned for versatility and strength. Uncover the secrets of carbon steel:...

Tungsten, also known as wolfram, is a rare and versatile metal. In nature, tungsten is found in ore form, combined with other elements....

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

Antimony (Sb) from the ore stibnite, is one of the elements known by the ancients, a primary source of black powder kajal or kohl. With...

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

The Almadén Mines in central Spain have an infamous past driven by profit and greed. The deadly history of ancient Almadén revolves...

Testing metals is a precise and varied process in the ancient world. It's a crucial skill in ensuring fair trade and preventing fraud....

Smelting, the art of extracting metal from its ore through heating and extraction, has been a part of human civilization since c. 6000...

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

Alchemy has a lifelong relationship with the magic of metals and their multiple manifestations. Metal workers and later blacksmiths...

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