Alchemical symbols, originally devised as part of alchemy, were used to denote some elements and some compounds until the 18th century. There were often many symbols for an element. For a time, the astronomical symbols of the planets were used to denote the elements. However, as alchemists were persecuted, particularly in medieval times, secret symbols were invented. This led to a great deal of confusion, so you will find some overlap of symbols. The symbols were in common use through the 17th century; some are still in use today. The alchemy symbols for earth, wind, fire, and water were fairly consistent (unlike those of the chemical elements). These symbols were used for "elements" into the 18th century, when alchemy gave way to chemistry and scientists learned more about the nature of matter. The alchemy symbol for air or wind is an upright triangle with a horizontal bar. Plato also connected the qualities of wet and hot to the Air symbol. The symbol was associated with the colors blue or white or sometimes gray. The alchemy symbol for fire looks like a flame or campfire. It's a simple triangle. According to Plato, the symbol also stands for hot and dry. It's associated with the colors red and orange. Fire was considered male or masculine. The symbol for water is the opposite of the one for fire. It's an inverted triangle, which also resembles a cup or glass. Plato associated the symbol with the qualities wet and cold. The symbol was often drawn in blue or could refer to that color. Water was considered female or feminine. The Philosopher's Stone could be represented by the squared circle. There are multiple ways to draw the glyph. * List Of Alchemy Symbols. - Sulfur Alchemy Symbol - Mercury Alchemy Symbol - Salt Alchemy Symbol - Copper Alchemy Symbol - Silver Alchemy Symbol - Gold Alchemy Symbol - Tin Alchemy Symbol - Antimony Alchemy Symbol