“ How silver is purified and made brilliant. Take a part of silver and an equal weight of lead; place in a furnace, and keep up the melting until the lead has just been consumed; repeat the operation several times until it becomes brilliant.
27. coloring in Silver.
For silvering objects of copper: tin in sticks, 2 drachmas; mercury, 4 drachmas; earth of Chios, 2 drachmas. Melt the tin, throw on the crushed earth, then the mercury, and stir with an iron and fashion into globules. ”

“ Here is the composition of the liquid for immersing: lamellose alum, common salt, in the vinegar for immersing; (make of ) slimy thickness; having immersed in this mixture, heat, then immerse, then take out, then heat; when you have immersed four times or more, by previously heating each time, the (metal) will become superior to blackened asem. The more numerous the treatments, heatings, and immersions are the more it will improve. ”

“ To augment gold, take cadmia of Thracia, make the mixture with cadmia in crusts, or that from Galacia.
17. Falsification of Gold.
Misy and Sinopian red, equal parts to one part of gold. After the gold has been thrown in the furnace and has become of good color throw upon it these two ingredients, and removing (the gold) let it cool, and the gold is doubled.
18. Manufacture of Asem.
Tin, a tenth of a mina; copper of Cyprus, a sixteenth of a mina; mineral of Magnesia, a thirty-second; mercury, two staters. Melt the copper, throw on it at first, the tin, then the stone of Magnesia ”

“ How one goes about making the solder for works of gold: Gold, 2 parts; Copper, 1 part; melt (and) divide up. When you desire a brilliant color melt with a little silver.
34. A Procedure for Writing in Letters of Gold.
To write in letters of gold, take some mercury, pour it in a suitable vessel, and add to it some gold in leaves; when the gold appears dissolved in the mercury, agitate sharply; add a little gum, 1 grain for example, and, (after) letting stand, write in the letters of gold.
36. Manufacture of Asem that is Black like Obsidian. ”

“ Gilding gives the same effect. Lamellose arsenic, copperas, golden sandarach, mercury, gum tragacanth, pith of arum, equal parts; dilute the whole with the bile of a goat. It is applied upon copper objects, upon silver objects, upon figures (in metal) and upon small shields. The copper should not have a rough surface.
76. Another (Procedure) .
Misy from the mines, 3 staters; alum from the mines, 3 staters; celandine, 1 stater; pour on these the urine of a small child; grind together until the mixture becomes viscous and immerse (the object in it) . ”

“ Copper, 1 mina, melt and throw on it 1 mina of tin in buttons and use thus.
15. The Coloration of Gold.
To color gold to render it fit for use. Misy, salt, and vinegar accruing from the purification of gold; mix it all and throw in the vessel (which contains) the gold described in the preceding preparation; let it remain some time, (and then) having drawn (the gold) from the vessel, heat it upon the coals; then again throw it in the vessel which contains the above-mentioned preparation; do this several times until it becomes fit for use. ”

“ Hold the vessel with a genuine linen cloth in order not to soil it. Then taking some embers, prepare some ashes (and with them) smooth (it) with the polisher and use as a gold vessel. It can be submitted to the test for regular gold. ”

“ It possesses quality for it is beautiful.
22. Another (Formula) .
A remedy for all tarnished asem. Taking straw, barley, and wild rue, infuse in vinegar, pour on it some salt and coals; throw it all in the furnace, blow for a long while and let it cool.
23. Whitening of Copper.
For whitening copper, in order to mix it with equal parts of asem, so that no one can recognize it. Taking some Cyprian copper, melt it, throwing on it 1 mina of decomposed sandarach, 2 drachmas of sandarach of the color of iron, and 5 drachmas of lamellose alum and melt (again) . ”