Similarly pearls, too, can be made entirely like true ones in appearance so that by means of their brightness and beauty they can scarcely be distinguished from genuine ones. Proceed thus: Purify as much as possible the white of eggs with a sponge. Into this put and mix some fair white talc, or pearl shell, or Mercury coagulated with Jupiter and reduced to alcohol. At the same time pound it in marble very fine, so that it becomes a thick amalgam, which must be dried in the sun or behind a warm furnace until it becomes like cheese or hepar. Lastly, from this mass make as many pearls as you wish, and fix them on hog bristles. Having thus bored them, dry them as you did the amber, and you have prepared them. If they do not shine sufficiently anoint them externally with the white of an egg, and again dry them. Thus they will become most beautiful pearls, like true ones in form though not in virtue.
Almost in the same way corals are made by those who wish to deceive people as with the pearls just spoken of. Proceed thus: Pound cinnabar with white of eggs in a marble mortar for an hour. Afterwards dry it like potter's earth. Then form from thence pilules or small branches, as you will; lastly, dry them thoroughly, and anoint them externally, as you did the pearls, with white of egg. Dry them again, and thus they will become like native coral in appearance, but not in virtue.
It should also be known that the white of eggs by itself can be coagulated into a very fine varnish, into which coagulation Luna or Sol may be put.
There are many other and various transmutations, whereof I will tell you briefly, and by the way, those which I know and have experimented on. First, learn that any wood, if at a particular time it be put in the water of the salt of a gem, is converted into stone in a manner calculated to cause wonder. So, too, stones are transmuted into coals by Ætnean fire, and these are called stone coal.
In the same way glue is made from hides, paper from linen rag, and silk is produced out of linen with a very sharp lixivium made from lime and the ashes of woad. If the downy parts are taken from feathers and dressed with this lixivium, they can be spun and woven like cotton. Any oil or spermatic mucilage can be coagulated into varnish; any liquid into gum. All these are transmutations of natural objects; whereof we have now said enough, and therefore write our finis.
