Noble Metals – hard to find, expensive metals that are highly resistant to oxidation; aka precious metals

Silver (Ag – argentum)

http://www.buzzle.com/images/religious-symbols/alchemy-silver-symbol.jpg

-  Soft, lustrous, white metal

-  Indo-European – grey/shining

-  Most is byproduct of gold, lead, copper, zinc refining

-  Symbol represents the moon and femininity

-  Melting: 961.93 C/ 1763.474 F/ 1238.08 K

-  Boiling: 2212 C/ 4013.6 F/ 2485.15 K

-  Density: 10.5 g/cm³

-  Most thermal, electrical conductivity and reflectivity of any metal

-  Lydians – used to make currency (silver/gold alloy)

    o  First civilization to have retail shops in permanent locations

    o  Made during reign of King Alyattes (609-560 BC)

-  Not toxic – is  used in some food decoration

-  Melt in graphite crucible (used for all non-magnetic (ferrous) or non-iron element)

-  Magnetic Spell – used to check real silver (creates magnetic field above metal, pulling up any fake silver; if real, pink smoke turns white)

    o  Magis Magnetico (ma-GEES mag-NET-tee-co)

    o  Start top left of X, down to bottom right, flick to top right, make slash bottom left

    o  If incorrect, loud crack, shoes stuck to floor

Gold (Au – aurum)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Sun_symbol.svg/150px-Sun_symbol.svg.png

-  Soft, malleable, bright reddish-yellow

-  Believed to be dust that formed our solar system

-  Gold from Earth's earliest days, said to have sunken to the core

-  gold in crust and mantle was delivered to Earth later by asteroids and other space matter

-  resist corrosion by acids

-  can be dissolved by aqua regia

-  highly valuable, sought out metal

-  Melting: 1064.43 C/ 1947.9741 F/ 1337.5801 K

-  Boiling: 2807 C/ 5084.6 F/ 3080.15 K

-  Density: 19.32 g/cm³

-  Ancient alchemy focused on turning lead to gold

-  King of metals

-  Represents perfection and flexibility

-  Transmutation branched from observations of omnipresent changes in nature

-  Egyptians

    o   metaphysical presence lying within gold

    o  Healing properties – close ties to sun

    o  Gods with skin made of gold

    o  Major gold mining area – "more plentiful than dirt)

-  Paracelsus

    o  Influenced by sun

    o  Heart of the universe

    o  Colloidal gold – colloidal suspension of gold nanoparticles in a fluid (ie water)

    o  Cure depression, melancholy, fear, sorrow

-  Some cultures consume small pieces to balance spirit

Platinum (Pt)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Platinum-symbol.svg/2000px-Platinum-symbol.svg.png

-  Least reactive metal

-  Most ductile noble metal

-  Very heavy, can lead to health issues

    o  Short-term exposure

        §  Irritation: throat, nose, eyes

    o  Long term

        §  Skin and respiratory allergies

    o  Not as toxic as other metals

-  Most deposits in South Africa (80%)

-  Melting: 1772 C/ 3221.6 F/ 2045.15 K

-  Boiling: 3827 C/ 6920.6 F/ 4100.15 K

-  Density: 21.45 g/cm³

-  Noticed in pre-Columbian era in Ecuador

    o  Alloys used to make artifacts

-  First European: 1557 – Julius Caesar Scaliger

-  Discovery credited muggle astronomer, Spanish governor of LA Antonio de Ulloa and muggle mathematician Jorge Juan y Santacilia

    o  French Geodesic Mission – King Louis XV 18^th cen

    o  Measuring roundness of the earth, measure length of the degree of latitude at the Equator

    o  Remained in Ecuador 1736-1744 – discovered platinum, anticipated discovery of platinum mines

-  Fight cancer

    o  Cisplatin

    o  Carboplatin

    o  Oxaliplatin

-  Used in lab equipment, dentistry equipment, thermometers, jewelry

-  Platinum and cobalt permanent magnets

-  Open awareness to inner-peace and inner-knowledge

-  Endurance – determination, grit, seeing manifestations and works to completion

-  Combination of gold and silver

Ruthenium (Ru)

http://s577.photobucket.com/user/Rosenquisitive/media/ruthenium_zpsh9teelim.png.html

-  Metallic silvery-white

-  Very rare

-  Most in Ural Mountains, North America, and South America

-  Melting: 2250 C/ 4082 F/ 2523.15 K

-  Boiling: 3900 C/ 7052 F/ 4173.15 K

-  Density: 12.2 g/cm³

-  Part of platinum group

-  Baltic German chemist – Karl Karlovich Klaus – aka Carl Ernst Claus

-  Kazan State University

-  Quantitative methods to botany

-  Isolated Ruthenium from platinum (1840) – Demidov Prize

-  Were-resistant electrical contacts

-  Sturdy, harder with platinum

-  Stains skin, in nuclear fuel

-  Connected to divinity