In alchemy, the Magnum Opus or Great Work is a term for the process of working with the prima materia to create the philosopher's stone. It has been used to describe personal and spiritual transmutati
Colors of the magnum opus seen on the breastplate of a figure from Splendor Solis
The philosopher's stone is a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as lead and mercury into gold or silver; it was also known as "the tincture" and "the powder" as well as "r
Magnum opus (alchemy)
…In alchemy, the Magnum Opus or Great Work is a term for the process of working with the prima materia to create the philosopher's stone. It has been used to describe personal and spiritual transmutation in the Hermetic tradition, to refer to laboratory processes and chemical color…
The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus, by Joseph Wright of Derby (1771)
Philosopher's stone as pictured in Atalanta Fugiens, Emblem XXI
This is an illustration of the "First Key of Basil Valentine", an emblem associated with the "Great Work" in obtaining the Philosopher's stone (see also, The Twelve Keys of Basil Valentine).