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Sylvia Rose
Nov 29, 20246 min read
Nickel (Ni): Metallurgy Facts & Folklore
Nickel (Ni), a silvery-white metal with a lustrous sheen, is a transition element essential to industry and commerce, and known in...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 28, 20246 min read
Cobalt (Co): The Little Goblin Who Could
Cobalt is a silvery grey metal used across various fields, including science, medicine, and industry. It receives its name from the...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 24, 20244 min read
Glass of Antimony: Renaissance Purgatives
Glass of antimony , or vitrum antimonii , gives warm yellow or red hues. As Sb2O3, its use in alchemy is largely medicinal, one of many...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 20, 20245 min read
S. pasteurii: Calcium Eating Limestone-Making Bacteria
Sporosarcina pasteurii is a gram-positive bacterium with the extraordinary ability to precipitate calcite and solidify sand when exposed...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 20, 20245 min read
Calcium (Ca): Earth Metal of Structure & Strength
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...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 15, 20245 min read
Liver of Sulfur: Alchemy, Metal & Medicine
Liver of Sulfur is a unique compound of alchemy, metallurgy and medicine. Also known as hepar sulfuris or sulfurated potash, Liver of...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 2, 20246 min read
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...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 21, 20246 min read
Heavy Metals Cadmium, Mercury, Lead, Chromium & Arsenic
Toxic heavy metals cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, and arsenic are elements known for high density and toxicity even in small amounts....
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 14, 20245 min read
Carbon Steel: Origins, Composition & Uses
Carbon steel is an essential material in various industries, renowned for versatility and strength. Uncover the secrets of carbon steel:...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 12, 20245 min read
Tungsten: Elusive Metal of Light, Art & Industry
Tungsten, also known as wolfram, is a rare and versatile metal. In nature, tungsten is found in ore form, combined with other elements....
38 views


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...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 22, 20245 min read
Antimony (Stibnite, Kohl) Ancient Metal of Science & Beauty
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...
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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),...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 8, 20246 min read
Almadén Mines: Ancient Mercury Extraction
The Almadén Mines in central Spain have an infamous past driven by profit and greed. The deadly history of ancient Almadén revolves...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 6, 20243 min read
Ancient Traders & Buyers: Art of Testing Metals
Testing metals is a precise and varied process in the ancient world. It's a crucial skill in ensuring fair trade and preventing fraud....
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 6, 20244 min read
Metal Smelting & Metallurgy in the Ancient World
Smelting, the art of extracting metal from its ore through heating and extraction, has been a part of human civilization since c. 6000...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 21, 20244 min read
Tellurium: Bright Gold & Dark Matter
Tellurium is the Latin word for earth. A brittle, non-malleable silvery white metalloid, tellurium (Te) is a rare element having both...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 20, 20245 min read
Alchemy: Metallurgy, Myths & Magic
Alchemy has a lifelong relationship with the magic of metals and their multiple manifestations. Metal workers and later blacksmiths...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 20, 20244 min read
Smelting Metals: Metalwork & Alchemy
In alchemy an essential piece of equipment is the hearth or forge. Smelting metal applies heat and a reducing agent to separate one or...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 11, 20243 min read
Alchemy: Ancient Purification of Tin
Tin purification is important to various alchemical practices, and a fundamental step in many recipes and formulas. In alchemy purified...
41 views
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