Alchemical symbol

According to Paracelsus (1493–1541), the three primes or tria prima – of which material substances are immediately composed – are:[2] Western alchemy makes use of the four classical elements.

The exact correlation varied over time, and in early centuries bronze or electrum were sometimes found instead of mercury, or copper for Mars instead of iron; however, gold, silver, and lead had always been associated with the Sun, Moon, and Saturn.

Alchemists would typically call the metals by their planetary names, e.g. "Saturn" for lead, "Mars" for iron; compounds of tin, iron, and silver continued to be called "jovial", "martial", and "lunar"; or "of Jupiter", "of Mars", and "of the moon", through the 17th century.

In cases where these numbered twelve, each could be assigned one of the Zodiac signs as a form of cryptography.

The list starts with 🜚 for gold and has early conventions that would later change: here ☿ is tin and ♃ electrum; ☾ is silver but ☽ is mercury.