Making Gems in Indian Alchemical Literature

Abstract

This article examines the practice of producing factitious gems as described in Nityanātha’s Jewel Mine of Mercury (Rasaratnākara), a thirteenth to fifteenth-century alchemical work written in Sanskrit. It queries how this practice fits within the Indian alchemical discipline and explores its possible connections with other artisanal crafts.

Keywords:

• factitious gems,
• alchemy,
• rasashastra,
• Rasaratnākara