| People have always been fascinated by precious stones because of their lustre. But not only polished gems shine. Each raw mineral has, such as mica flakes in the river sand show, its very special characteristic luster. Gloss isn't simply measurable. It is usually described by comparison with objects ... morePeople have always been fascinated by precious stones because of their lustre. But not only polished gems shine. Each raw mineral has, such as mica flakes in the river sand show, its very special characteristic luster. Gloss isn't simply measurable. It is usually described by comparison with objects of everyday life ... (in german) |
| Iin 1546 Georgius Agricola reported about a white metal which is fused to the Rammelsberg lead and silver melter and that you could scrape off. He called this metal "contrefey", because it could imitate gold. Agricola did not recognize that this metal was zinc. He further observed that a similar met ... moreIin 1546 Georgius Agricola reported about a white metal which is fused to the Rammelsberg lead and silver melter and that you could scrape off. He called this metal "contrefey", because it could imitate gold. Agricola did not recognize that this metal was zinc. He further observed that a similar metal, which he named from some unknown reasons "ZINCUM" arose under similar circumstances in Silesia during smelting. |