133 - The Way to Extract the Vitriol From the Above Colored Water
Have a large glass urinal, capable of holding 3 flasks of liqueur. Put it in ash or sand in a furnace. Fill the urinal full of the above [chapter 132] colored water, give it a moderated fire, and start to evaporate the water. Keep other glass urinals full of the tinted water close to the furnace, in order to warm them well. From time to time, using a glass ladle, refill the large urinal in the sand, in order to evaporate [more liquid].
Keep the tinted water warm, because if you put it in cold, it will cause the larger urinal to break, and ruin everything. Keep the [other) urinals near the furnace, full of tinted water, in order to keep them warm. If for example you have 10 flasks of coloured water, evaporate enough to turn it into 2Vz 3 flasks. Now the water is charged, and saturated with tincture.
Put it into glazed earthen pans, and leave it in a cold damp place overnight. You will find the vitriol of copper has formed into crystalline points that mimic true oriental emeralds. Thoroughly decant off all the liquid in the pans, and leave the vitriol [crystals] to dry without
allowing them to stick to the pans. Evaporate half of the water, which will produce new vitriol [crystals], like those above. Repeat this until you have all the vitriol, which you should put in a retort thoroughly coated with strong lute. Take care to put no more than 1 lb of vitriol into the retort, which must not be very large, however it is good to have an amply large receiver.
Start by giving it a continuous 4 hours of a most temperate fire, because if you increase the fire even slightly then the vapors, steam, and pressure that evolve from this vitriol in the beginning are so strong, and come with such a sudden and powerful start, that no receiver could withstand it. Therefore, be sure above all else, that in the beginning you moderate the fire well for 4 hours and the joints are optimally luted.
At the end, give it a powerful fire. The spirits will start to come and dry into a white form, continue the fire until the receiver begins to clear. Let the fire die, and leave everything to cool for 24 hours. Unlute liqueur that is in the receiver in tightly sealed glass vessels.
This is the true flaming azure blue [tincture], with which marvellous things are made. lt is most potent, and as sharp as anything known in nature today, as can easily be perceived from its odor.
Many things could be said here, which are omitted as not being pertinent to the art of glassmaking, which perhaps upon another occasion you will be able to judge. A black
coloured residue will remain in the bottom of the retort. If you leave this for some days to the open air, by itself it will take on a lighter colour. Pulverize this, and mix it with zaffer, as described above [chapter 31]. Add it to the crystal [powder] with the dose dictated. lt will make a wonderful aquamarine. Although I have placed here the way to make this powder
with much clarity, do not presuppose that I have described a way to make something ordinary, but rather a true treasure of nature, and this for the delight of kind and curious spirits.
THE END.