Editing Philosopher's stone (section)

{{short description|Legendary alchemical substance}}
{{About|the legendary substance|other uses|Philosopher's Stone (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
[[File:Joseph Wright of Derby The Alchemist.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|''[[The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus|The Alchymist, in Search of the Philosopher's Stone]]'' by [[Joseph Wright of Derby]], 1771]]

The '''philosopher's stone'''{{efn|name="apostrophe_position"|Also spelled "philosophers' stone". ({{langx|ar|حجر الفلاسفة|translit=ḥajar al-falāsifa}}; {{langx|la|lapis philosophorum}})}} is a mythic [[alchemy|alchemical]] substance capable of turning [[base metal]]s such as [[Mercury (element)|mercury]] into gold or silver;{{efn|name="chrysopoeia_and_argyropoeia"|[[chrysopoeia|chrysopoeia and argyropoeia]]}} it was also known as "the tincture" and "the powder". Alchemists additionally believed that it could be used to make an [[elixir of life]] which made possible [[rejuvenation]] and [[immortality]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=philosopher's stone |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/philosophers-stone |date=13 May 2024 |access-date=17 May 2024 |website=Britannica |publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica |archive-date=17 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517170300/https://www.britannica.com/topic/philosophers-stone |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Highfield |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Highfield |title=A history of magic: Secrets of the Philosopher's Stone |url=https://www.bl.uk/a-history-of-magic/articles/secrets-of-the-philosophers-stone |access-date=27 August 2020 |website=The British Library |archive-date=20 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020115117/https://www.bl.uk/a-history-of-magic/articles/secrets-of-the-philosophers-stone |url-status=live }}</ref>

For many centuries, it was the most sought-after goal in [[alchemy]]. The philosopher's stone was the central symbol of the mystical terminology of alchemy, symbolizing perfection at its finest, [[divine illumination]], and heavenly bliss. Efforts to discover the philosopher's stone were known as the [[Magnum opus (alchemy)|Magnum Opus]] ("Great Work").<ref>{{Cite book |last=Heindel |first=Max |author-link=Max Heindel |title=Freemasonry and Catholicism: an exposition and Investigation. |date=June 1978 |url=http://www.rosicrucian.com/frc/frceng01.htm |publisher=[[Rosicrucian Fellowship]] |isbn=0-911274-04-9 |access-date=7 July 2006 |archive-date=10 July 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060710013008/http://www.rosicrucian.com/frc/frceng01.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>