The Philosopher’s Stone

According to legend, the Philosopher's Stone was able to turn “lesser” metals, such as copper and lead, into gold and to grant eternal life. The endless search for this object of arcane lore was undertaken by men who became known as alchemists. These men believed that by finding the Stone, they could purify their souls of sin and gain the knowledge of God.

According to the article on the Philosopher's Stone in The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy, the Stone was known by many names, including “the elixir, the tincture, crystals, powder, lapis, and so forth.” Despite it's name, it has been described as “a stone that is not a stone” by Zosimos, an alchemist from Ancient Greece, and, according to the online article “History of Alchemy from Ancient Egypt to Modern Times”, was called the “Powder of Transmutation” by John Frederick Helvetius, a Dutch alchemist from the 17th century (Guiley 131; 348). Helvetius also described it as “resembling glass or pale sulfur”, and was described further by another alchemist named Jean Baptista van Helmont as appearing “like saffron in powder but heavy and shining like pounded glass” (Cockren).

The abilities of the Stone are varied, though the most prevalent of these capabilities involves changing any metal to gold through a certain process which is supposedly very difficult to perform. It is also known as the “universal medicine” and can be used to cure most, if not all, sicknesses and lengthen the user's life, possibly into eternity if used correctly (Guiley 251). These fabled effects seem to sprout from the belief that the Philosopher's Stone signifies “the force behind the evolution of life and the universal binding power of oneness” and represents “the purity and sanctity of the highest realm of pure thought and altruistic existence” (Guiley 251).

Many men have been attributed with creating the Stone and using these effects, but there are a few that stand out from the rest. One of the most widely known alchemists, partially due to the use of his name in the recent Harry Potter book series, is Nicholas Flamel; despite the fact that his death is recorded around 1414, which places him at 116 years old, he has been rumored to still be alive due to the Stone (Guiley 104). Two others who were known for the same reason as each other are John Helvetius and Jean van Helmont, who, according to the electronic book “Alchemy Rediscovered and Restored”, were both said to have been given a portion of the Stone by a stranger and who also were fierce denouncers of magic and alchemy before their respective encounters with the Stone (Guiley 131; 328).

Though both the effects of the Stone and its various creators are known, little is known publicly about the actual process to create this wondrous substance. There are many riddles within papers and pieces of art related to alchemy which are said to contain clues to the process for the creation of the Stone. The greatest one of these is known as the Emerald Tablet or Emerald Table and has been around