On the Silvering of Copper and Iron

Abu Musa Djaber ibn Hayan El Azder El Ku says! " #ou $ust value and not %ontradi%t &hat is
&ritten' re$e$ber &ell ho& to $anage &ithout di$inishing or aug$enting( ta)e as $u%h as you
&ish of the stone $i*ed &ith its $i*ture and grind it &ith so$e &ater( $i*ed &ith %opperas and
sal a$$onia% until it be%o$es bla%)+ ,hen put it very near a very slight heat until it s$ells li)e
se$en+ -hen it has that s$ell ta)e it a&ay and &ash it slo&ly &ith so$e %lear &ater( and then
roast it gently until you noti%e a visible vapour+ In this &ay its &ater &ill be driven o.( and the
stone itself &ill be%o$e light( &ithout losing its essen%e+ ,a)e it o. and dip it again into &ater(
po&dering it under &ater( and roast it as before+ Its bla%)ness begins to di$inish+ ,a)e o. the
stone &hen it is dry and its &ater absorbed+ /rind it &ell in so$e %lear &ater and roast it again+ It
begins to be green( and then this bla%)ness &ill disappear+ -hen you see the stone beginning to
turn green( be sure you are in the right path+ Move it then &hen it be%o$es 0uite green and has
the appearan%e of verdigris+ ,his &ill sho& that the pro%ess is right( and the stone has lost its sal
a$$onia% &hi%h &ould have %orrupted it+ After po&dering it in so$e &ater( put it into a vessel
&ell luted &ith plaster( pla%e it on a gentle re( and distil o. all its &ater+ 1e patient and do not be
in a hurry to in%rease the re &hi%h &ill %orrupt it' for you &ill repent( and your repentan%e &ill
never be of avail+ -hen you distil o. all its &ater( ta)e it o.( and po&der it in the sa$e distilled
&ater+ ,hen return it to the vessel( and rene& the distillation+ I re%o$$end you to distil it 233
ti$es li)e the rods of $yrtle( and Indian %ane+ I have not e*plained this hint in any one of $y
boo)s( but in this only+ I have told you the opinion of philosophers &ithout di$inishing or
in%rease( and have not %on%ealed anything fro$ you+ -hen the stone be%o$es green &e %all it
$yrtle( and &hen it returns to yello&( &e give it the na$e of Indian %ane+ #ou $ust )no& that it
be%o$es gradually bla%) fro$ the rst to the last+ It re$ains 0uite bla%) fro$ ve to ten
roastings' then it slo&ly be%o$es green( and has the %olour %o$pletely in 43 or 23 roastings+ ,his
is the end+ If the stone a%0uires these 0ualities( there &ill be no doubt of its goodness+ Its yello&
%olour begins bye"and"bye to disappear and the stone &ill %o$pletely lose its %learness in 23
roastings+ ,hen the stone &ill have the sa$e degree as the sun( and si$ilar %oloured rays+ It &ill
burn( and be%o$e ashes+ ,hey are the sa$e ashes $entioned in the boo)s of philosophers+ If you
%ontinue the sa$e pro%ess( the ashes &ill be%o$e 0uite &hite+ ,his is the fourth sign( &hi%h is the
sign of perfe%tion+ ,herefore you $ust %ontinue to pro%eed as before &ithout di$inishing or
in%rease+ ,hen it is ne%essary to aug$ent the re just a little( and do not fear the %orruption+ If
you %ontinue to distil it you $ust return the distilled &ater on it( and in every distillation the &ater
di$inishes' therefore it is ne%essary( every ten distillations( to add so$e %lear &ater to the
distilled &ater &ith &hi%h you pulverize it+ If the stone begins to turn &hite( you $ust %ontinue
the sa$e pro%ess until it turns very &hite+ ,his &ill be fro$ 433 distillations+ If the re di$inish(
and the operator be %lever( )no&ing &ell the 0uantity of re( fro$ 543 distillations 6the total is
733 distillations8( the stone( you $ay be sure( &ill have a %o$plete and real &hiteness+ In this
state you $ay operate for giving %opper and iron a %oating of silver+ #ou %an also operate on
$elted %rystal( and pearls( and $any other $inerals( et%+( et%+