Book VI, chapters 1–7: Counterfeiting precious stones

THE SIXTH BOOK OF Natural Magick: Of counterfeiting Precious Sones.

THE PROEME.

FRom the adulterating of Metals, we shall pass to the counterfeiting of Jewels. They are by the same reason, both Arts are of kin, and done by the fire. And it is no fraud, saith Pliny, to get gain to live by: and the desire of money hath so kindled the firebrand of luxury, that the most cunning artists are sometimes cheated. They are counterfeited by divers ways, either by cutting Jewels in the middle, and putting in the colours, and joyning them together; or else by giving a tincture to Crystal that is all one piece, or counterfeiting Crystal by many ingredients; or we shall attempt to make true Jewels to depart from their proper colour, and all of them to be so handsomly coloured, that they may shew like natural Jewels. Lastly, I shall shew how to make Smalt of divers colours.

CHAP. I.

Of certain Salts used in the composition of Gems.

WE wil first set down certain operations, which are very necessary in the making of Gems, lest we be forced to repeat the same thing over again: And first,

How to make Sal Soda.

The herb Kali or Saltwort is commonly called Soda: grinde this Soda very small, and sift it into powder: put it into a brass Cauldron and boil it, pouring in for every pound of Soda, a firkin of water. Let it boil for four hours, till the water be consumed to a third part. Then take it from the fire, and let it stand twelve hours, while the dregs settle to the bottom, and the water becomes clear: then drain out the water with a linnen cloth, into another vessel, and pour fresh water into the Cauldron: Boil it again, and when it is cold, as before, and all the dross setled, filtrate the clear water out again: Do as much the third time, still having a care to try with your tongue, whether it be still salt. At last, strain the water, and set it in an earthen vessel over the fire, keeping a constant fire under it, until the moisture being almost consumed, the water grow more thick, and be condensed into salt; which must presently be taken out with an iron ladle; and of five pound of Soda, you will have one pound of salt.

How to make Salt of Tartar.

Take the lees of old wine, and dry it carefully; it is commonly called Tartar: put it into an Alimbeck, made in such sort, that the flame may be retorted from the top, and so augment the heat. There let it burn, you will see it grow white; then turn it with your iron tongs, so that the upper part which is white may be at bottom, and turn the back up to the flame: when it hath ceas'd smoaking, take it out, and break part of it, to see whether it be white quite through, for that is an argument of the sufficient burning; because it oftentimes happens, that the outside onely is burned, and the rest of it remaineth crude. Therefore, when it hath gained the colour of chalk, it must be taken out; and when it is cold, grinde it, and lay it in water in some wide-mouth'd vessel a quarter of a day. When the water is grown clear, filtrate it, and strain it into another vessel, and then pour water again unto the settlement, observing the same things we spoke before, until the water have taken out all the salt, which will come to pass in the third or forth time. Pour your waters which you saved, into a vessel of glass; and all things being ready, put live coles under it, and attend the work until the water be consumed by the force of the fire, which being done, the salt will stick to the bottom: it being thus made, preserve it in a dry place, lest it turn to oyl.

CHAP. II.

How Flint, or Crystal is to be prepared, and how Pastils are boiled.

THe matter of which Gems are made, is either Crystal or Flint, from whence we strike fire, or round pebbles found by river sides: those are the best which are taken up by the river Thames, white, clear, and of the bigness of an egge; for of those are made best counterfeit Gemms, though all will serve in some sort. Some think that Crystal is the best for this purpose, because of the brightness and transparency of it; but they are deceived. The way of making Gems, is this: Take riverpebbles and put them into a fornace, in that place where the retorted flame is most intense; when they are red hot, take them out and fling them into water: then dry them, and powder them in a mortar, or a hand-mill, until they are very fine; put them into a wide-mouthed vessel, full of rain water, and shake it well in your hands, for so the finest part will rise to the top, and the grossest will settle to the bottom: to that which swims at top pour fresh water, and stir the dust again: and do this oftentimes, until the gross part be quite separated and sunk down. Then take out the water, and let it settle, and in the bottom there will lie a certain slimy matter; gather together, and reserve the refined powder. But whil'st the stone is ground, both the morter and the mill will lose somewhat of themselves, which being mixt with the powder will foul the Gem: wherefore it will be worth the lab[…]r to wash that away: to which end, let water be often poured into the lavel, and stirred about; the dust of the morter will rise to the top, by reason of its levity, and the powder of the pebbles will retire to the bottom by reason of its weight; skim the lavel, and separate them with a spoon, till all that sandy and black dust be taken off; then strain out the water, and reserve the powder dry. These being done, we must teach

How Pastils are boiled.

Artificers call those pellets which are made of the salts, and the forenamed powder and water, Pastils. Take five parts of salt of Tartar, as many of salt of Soda, double the quantity of these of the forespoken powder of pebbles, and mix them very well in a stone morter: sprinkle them with water & wet them, so that they may grow into a past, and make Pastils of them in bigness of your fist; set them in the sun, and dry them well. Then put them into a fornace of reverbaration, the space of six hours, encreasing the fire by degrees, that at last they may become red hot, but not melt; wherefore use no bellows: when they are baked enough, let them cool, and they will become so hard, that they will endure almost the hammer.

CHAP. III.

Of the Fornace, and the Parts thereof.

NOw the Fornace is to be built, which is like to that of glass-makers, but less according to the proportion of the work. Let your fornace be eight foot high, and consist of two vaults; the roof of the lower must be a handful and a half thick: the vault it self must have a little door, by which you may cast in wood to feed the fire there. Let it also have on the top, and in the middle of its roof, a hole about a foot in breadth, by which the flame may penetrate into the second vault, and reach to the upper roof; whence the flame being reverberated, doth cause a vehement heat. In this upper vault there must be cut out in the wall small holes of a handful in breadth, which must open and shut, to set the pots and pans in on the floor, and to take them out again. Artificers call these pots Crucibles; they are made of clay, which is brought from Valencia, and doth very strongly endure fire: They must be a finger thick, and a foot and a half deep, their bottom somewhat thicker, lest they should break with the force of the fire. All things being thus provided, cast in your wood and fire, and let the fornace heat by degrees, so that it may be perfectly hot in a quarter of a day. Your workmen must be diligent to perform their duty; then let the Pastils, being broken into pieces about the bigness of a wall-nut, be put into crucibles, and set in the holes of the fornace built for that purpose, with a pair of iron tongs to every pot. When they melt, they will rise up in bubbles, and growing greater and greater, must be pricked with sharp wires; that the vapor passing out, the bubbles may sink down again, and not run over the mouth of the crucibles. Then let other pieces be put in, and do as before, until the pots be filled to the top: and continue the fire for a whole day, until the matter be concocted. Then put an iron hook into the pots, and try whether the matter have obtained a perfect transparency: which if it have, take it out of the pots with iron instruments for that purpose, and cast it into clear water, to wash off the filth and stains, and to purge out the salt: for when the Gems are made; on a suddain the salt breaks forth, as it were spued out, and overcast them like a cloud. Yet there must be a great deal of diligence used, whil[…]st you draw out this vitrified matter, lest it touch the sides of the fornace; for it will cleave thereto like bird[…]ime, hardly to be pulled off without part of the wall: as also lest it fall into the vessels: for it is very difficult to separate it, and it prejudices the clearness of the glas[…]. When it is cold, put it again into the crucibles, and let it glow for two days, until it be concocted into perfect glass. When this vitrified matter hath stood so for two days, some, to make it more fine and bright, lest it should be specked with certain little bubbles (to which glass is very subject) put into the crucible some white lead, which presently groweth red, then melts with the glass and becomes clear and perspicuous. Make your tryal then with an iron hook; for if it be clear of those bubbles, it is perfected, and so will be a perfect mass of Gems. Now we will teach the several Colours, Yellow, Green, or Blue, wherein we will cast our Gems.

CHAP. IV.

To make Colours.

WHile the Crystal is preparing in the fornace, by the same fire the Colours may be also made: And first,

How to make Crocus of Iron:

Take three or four pounds of the limature of Iron, wash it well in a broad vessel; for by putting it into water, the weight of the iron will carry that to the bottom; but the straws and chips, and such kind of filth, will swim on the top; so you will have your filings clean and wash'd. Then dry it well, and put it into an earthen glazed pot with a large mouth, and pour into it three or four gallons of the best and sharpest vinegar: there let it macerate three or four weeks, stirring it every day seven or eight times with an iron rod: then giving it time to settle, pour out the vinegar into another pot, and put fresh vinegar into the iron; and do this, till the vinegar have consumed all the filings. Then put all the vinegar into an earthen vessel, and set it on the fire, and let it boil quite away: In the bottom there will remain a slimy durty mattter, mixt with a kind of fatness of the iron, which the fire by continuance will catch hold of: let it burn, and the remaining dust will be Crocus. Others file your rusty nails, and heating them red hot, quench them in vinegar; then strain them, and dry the rust, and set it again to the fire, till it be red hot, then quench it again with vinegar; this they do three or four times: at length they boil the vinegar away, and take the remaining Crocus from the bottom. Next remains to shew

How to reduce Zaphara into Powder.

A lit[…]le window is to be made out of the side of the fornace, nigh to which must be built a little cell or oven, so joyned to the mouth of the oven, that the flame may be brought in through a little hole. Let this cell have a little door without, to admit the workmans hand upon occasion. Let this cell be a foot in length and breadth. Set the Saffron upon a Potters tile, into the cell and shut the door: let it be red hot, and after six hours take it out and put it into water, so will it cleave into pieces; let it be dryed, stamped, and so finely seirced, that it may scarce be felt. But if it cannot be effected with a pestle and morter; pour water upon the powder, and stir it with your hands, and let it settle for a while; then strain it into another vessel, and pour fresh water into the powder; and reiterate this so often, till that which setleth, being beat and brayed, do pass through with water: then dry it, and it will become very fine powder.

How to burn Copper.

Set the filings of Copper, with an equal quantity of salt mixt in an earthen pot, over the fire, and turn it about three or four hours with an iron book, that it may be burned on all sides: There let it burn a whole natural day: then take it out, and divide it into two parts; lay the one part aside, and set the other with salt on the fire again, for an artificial day: do the same three or four times, that it may be more perfectly calci[…]ed, always having a care that it be as hot as may be, but that it melt not. Waen it is burnt, it is black.

CHAP. V.

How Gems are coloured.

ALl things being thus prepared; there is nothing more, I think, remaineth to make an end of this work, but to know how to colour them. And we will begin with the way

How to dye a Saphire.

Artificers begin with a Saphire: for when it is coloured, unless it be presently removed from the fire, it loseth the tincture; and the longer it remains in the fire, the brighter it groweth. Put a little Zaphara, as they call it, into a pot of glass, two drachms to a pound of glass; then stir it continually from top to bottom with an iron hook: when it is very well mixed, make tryal whether the colour please you or no, by taking a little out of the pot. If it be too faint, adde some more Zaphara; if too deep, put in more glass, and let it boil six hours. Thus you may

Colour Cyanus,

or sea-water, another kind of Saphire. Beat your calcined brass into very fine powder, that you may scarce feel it; for otherwise it will mix with the Crystal, and make it courser: the quantity cannot be defined, for there are lighter and deeper of that kind: for the most part, for one pound one drachm will be sufficient.

How to counterfeit the colour of the Amethist:

To a pound of Crystal, put a dram of that they call Manganess, and so the colour is made. If the Gem be great, make it the paler; if small, make it deeper: for they use such for rings, and other uses.

To counterfeit the Topaze.

To every pound of glass, adde a quarter of an ounce of crocus of Iron, and three ounces of red-lead, to make it of a brighter red. First put in the lead, then the crocus.

The Chrysolite.

When you have made a Topaze, and would have a Chrysolite, adde a little more Copper, that it may have a little verdure: for the Chrysolite differeth from the Topaze in nothing, but that it hath a greater lustre. So we are wont

To counterfeit an Emerald.

This shall be the last: for we must let our work be as quick as possible, because the copper being heavy, when it is mixed with the Crystal, doth presently sink down to the bottom of the pots, and so the Gems well be of too pale a colour. Therefore thus you must do: when you give the tincture to a Cianus, you may easily turn it into Smaragde, by adding crocus of iron, in half the quantity of the copper or brass, viz. if at first you put in a fourth part of copper: Now you must adde an eighth part of crocus, and as much copper. After the colours are cast in, let it boil six hours, that the material may grow clear again: for the casting in the colours will make them contract a cloudiness. Afterwards let the fire decrease by degrees, until the fornace be cold: then take out the pots and break them, wherein you shall find your counterfeit precious Stones.

CHAP. VI.

How Gems may otherwise be made.

THe manner which I have set down, is peculiar and usual to our Artificers, and by them is also accounted a secret. But I will set down another way, which I had determined always to keep secret to my self; for by it are made with less charge, less time, and less labour, much more refulgent, bright, and livelier Gems, whose superficies and lustre, the salt shall not deface in a much longer time. Although those old counterfeits which are found at Puteoli, in the mortar of ruined houses, and on the shores, are yet very bright, and of a perfect clearness, so that they seem beyond the imitation of our age: Yet I will endeavour by this way, not onely to equal them, but to make much better. Wherefore give ear, and believe: the materials are thus made: Take the comb of a Cock, and cutting his gullet in two, keep the head and the neck. Put it into a pot, and set it in a hard fire; stop i[…] close that no coles or ashes arising with the smoke, or soote, fall in, and spoil the lustre of it. When the fire is kindled, you will hear it hiss: when it is red hot, take it up with an iron tongs, and quench it in clear water, and dry it: Do this three times, changing the water, lest there should be any filth; then grinde it on a marble till it be so fine that you may blow it about, and reserve it for use. Thence have you the Philosophers Stone, most fragrant in fire, and chief in the triplicity. If thou art ignorant of the Philosophers Stone, learn it from these verses, which I found in an old Manuscript.

Arctus est hominis, qui constat sex elementis.
Cui p si addideris, s. in. m. mutare si bene scis.
Hoc erit os nostrum constans lapis Philosophorum.

Now we have advertis'd you of the materials: let us advise also about the colour. And first of all, I will shew you

How to counterfeit a Topaze.

Put your material into a pot, and cover it with a lid, full of holes; over which there must be laid another, that it may exhale, and yet receive no hurt from the smoke: let it stand in its fornace to the middle the space of a whole day, and it will be a Topaze. Now

To counterfeit a Chrysolite,

cram the Cock, and for every ounce give him to eat two grains of the beloved flower of Venus: stroak him, and in due time thou shalt see.

To make an Emarald.

Feed the Cock again, and for every ounce, give him four grains of wheat, and he will shine with a most bright lustre. But

To make a Jacinth,

give the Cock graines of the bloody Stone, instead of wheat, and he will easily lay hold of them.

CHAP. VII.

Of Several Tinctures of Crystal.

I Have declared divers tinctures of glass, and those no vulgar and common ones, but such as are rarely known, and gained, and tried with a great deal of labour. Now I will relate some ways of staining Crystal, and especially those that are choice, and known to very few; if not onely to my self.

To stain Crystal with the colour of a Jacinth, or a Ruby, without breaking, or wearing it.

Take six parts of Stibium, four of Orpin, three of Arsenick, as much of Sulphur, two of Tutty; beat them all asunder, and sift them through a fine seirce: put them into a pot: hang your Crystal by wires, or cover it over with the powders, and so set it on the fire, that it may be hot, four or five hours; but use no bellows, lest it break in pieces, or melt. It is a certain sign of being perfectly coloured, if you take out a piece, and that be of a bright and shining colour, otherwise deliver it to the fire again, and after some time try it again. But you must have a great care, lest it cool too suddenly when you take it off the fire, for it will crumble and fall to pieces. If a violet-colour pleaseth you, take it soon from the fire: if you would have a deep purple, let it stand longer: we can make a violet with Orpin onely.

To turn a Saphire into a Diamond.

This stone, as all others, being put in the fire, loseth his colour: For the force of the fire maketh the colour fade. Many do it several ways: for some melt gold, and put the Saphire in the middle of it; others put it on a plate of iron, and set it in the middle of the fornace of reverberation; others burn it in the middle of a heap of iron dust. I am w[…]nt to do it a safer way, thus: I fill an earthen pot with unkill'd lime, in the middle of which I place my Saphire, and cover it over with coals; which being kindled, I stop the bellows from blowing, for they will make it flie in pieces. When I think it changed, I take a care that the fire may go out it self: and then taking out the stone, I see whether it hath contracted a sufficient whiteness; if it have, I put it again in its former place, and let it cool with the fire; if not, I cover it again, often looking on it, until the force of the fire have consumed all the colour, which it will do in five or six hours; if you find that the colour be not quite vanished, do again as before, until it be perfect white. You must be very diligent, that the fire do heat by degrees, and also cool; for it often happeneth, that sudden cold doth either make it congeal, or flie in pieces. All other stones lose their colour, like the Saphire; some sooner, some later, according to their hardness. For the Amethist you must use but a soft and gentle fire; for a vehement one will over-harden it, and turn it to dust. This is the art we use, to turn other precious stones into Diamonds, which being cut in the middle, and coloured, maketh another kind of adulterating Gems; which by this experiment we will make known: And it is

How to make a stone white on one side, and red or blew on the other.

I have seen precious stones thus made, and in great esteem with great persons, being of two colours: on one side a Saphire, and on the other a Diamond, and so of divers colours. Which may be done after this manner: For example, we would have a Saphire should be white on one side, and below on the other; or should be white on one side, and red on the other: thus it may be done. Plaister up that side which you would have red or blew, with chalk, and let it be dryed; then commit it to the fire, those ways we spoke of before, and the naked side will lose the colour and turn w[…]ite, that it will seem a miracle of Nature, to those that know not by how slight an art it may be done.

How to stain glass of divers colours.

I will not pass by a thing worth the relation, which happened by chance, while we were making these experiments. The flower of Tinne taketh away the perspicuity of Crystal glass, and maketh it of divers colours: for being sprinkled upon Crystal glasses that are polished with a wheele, and set to the fire, it doth variously colour them, and maketh them cloudy; so that one part will look like a stone, and another like an Opale of divers colours. But you must often take it out from the fire, and order it rightly, till it be according to your desire. I have before told you how to make flour of Tinne for the purpose. I will adde somewhat more, indeed no secret, nor very necessary, but that nothing may be omitted by us in this work, viz.

How to make a Jacinth

beautiful enough, and not much unlike a true one. Put lead into a hard earthen pot, and set it on the fire in a glass-makers fornace, there let it remain for some days, till the lead be vitrified, and it will be of the colour of a Jacinth.

To counterfeit an Emerald.

You may do this almost in the same manner; and it will resemble the colour of a pleasant green corn. Dissolve silver with strong water, then casting into the water some plates of Copper, as I told you, it will cleave to them. Gather it together, and dry it, and set it into a glass-makers fornace in an earthen pot, within a few days it will become an Emerald. To do the same with other metals, I will leave to the trial of others; it is enough for me to have found out and discovered the way.

To counterfeit Carbuncles.

This we do with Orpin, and use it in some ornaments, for they are brittle, and of a most flagrant colour, have much of the scarlet blush, and cast forth red sparkles. Take four ounces of Orpin, and grinde it small: then put it into a glass vessel, whose bottom you must fortifie against the force of the fire with mortar made with straw, and stop the mouth of it gently. The fire being kindled, the smoke flieth up, and the thinnest part of the material will rise to the top: and you will see it stick to the sides of the glass, and the neck: it will grow bigger by degrees, and new parts still flying up, will make it grow thicker; and like boyling water gather into bubbles, which at last will encrease so big, that they will fall down: Some will stick in the neck of the glass, all of a most flagrant colour, but brittle and small. Break the glass, and take off with a sharp point of a knife, those red congealed bubbles which stick to the glass, and use them. If you would make one great one of those little bubbles; lay a great many little ones upon a piece of glass, and melt them, and they will run into one: a most pleasant sight to see.