silver (metallurgical dyeing)

Ingredients

mercury, unburnt sulphur, lead, Alexandrian vitriol

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

To produce a silver-colored material: Combine equal parts mercury and unburnt sulphur in a crucible. Heat over a gentle fire (comparable to the sun's warmth) while stirring frequently. Once the mixture solidifies and dries, purify the resulting mass with lead to achieve a 'shining silver' appearance. If the material is too hard, Alexandrian vitriol may be added to the crucible for softening (p. 349).

Evidence

"In order to make silver. Take as much mercury as you want and unburnt sulphur, the same quantity, put them in a vessel, [i.e.] a crucible, and set on a gentle fire as warm as the heat of the sun and stir it often; after reaching the solidification of the mixture and letting it get dry, purify it with lead and it will become shining silver. If it is hard and you want to soften it, throw Alexandrian vitriol in the crucible."

Remarks

This is a metallurgical dyeing procedure for creating an alloy or surface treatment resembling silver. It reflects a technique for making 'artificial cinnabar' popular in Byzantium (p. 350).