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The philosopher's stone [a] is a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold or silver; [b] it was also known as "the tincture" and "the powder". Alchemists additionally believed that it could be used to make an elixir of life which made possible rejuvenation and immortality .
Chemical coloring of metals is the process of changing the color of metal surfaces with different chemical solutions. The chemical coloring of metals can be split into three types: electroplating – coating the metal surface with another metal using electrolysis. patination – chemically reacting the metal surface to form a colored oxide or ...
In the Neo-Hermeticist interpretation, both the transmutation of common metals into gold and the universal panacea are held to symbolize evolution from an imperfect, diseased, corruptible, and ephemeral state toward a perfect, healthy, incorruptible, and everlasting state, so the philosopher's stone then represented a mystic key that would make ...
Depiction of Sedziwój performing a transmutation for Sigismund III by Jan Matejko, 1867. Projection was the ultimate goal of Western alchemy.Once the philosopher's stone or powder of projection had been created, the process of projection would be used to transmute a lesser substance into a higher form; often lead into gold.
The term transmutation dates back to alchemy.Alchemists pursued the philosopher's stone, capable of chrysopoeia – the transformation of base metals into gold. [3] While alchemists often understood chrysopoeia as a metaphor for a mystical or religious process, some practitioners adopted a literal interpretation and tried to make gold through physical experimentation.
Up to 15% zinc can be added to copper-rich alloys to change their color to reddish yellow or dark yellow. [3] 14K red gold, often found in the Middle East, contains 41.67% copper. The highest karat version of rose gold, also known as crown gold, is 22 karat. Amongst the alloys made of gold, silver, and copper, the hardest is the 18.1 K pink ...
When the mercury has evaporated, indicated by the surface taking on a dull yellow color, the metal must undergo further steps to exhibit its fine gold color. First, the gilded surface is rubbed with a scratch brush of brass wire, until its surface is smooth. It is then covered with gilding wax, and again exposed to fire until the wax is burnt off.
In alchemy, the term chrysopoeia (from Ancient Greek χρυσοποιία (khrusopoiía) 'gold-making') refers to the artificial production of gold, most commonly by the alleged transmutation of base metals such as lead.