Perhaps the Philosopher’s Stone is not the myth we thought?
See, according to legend, the Philosopher’s Stone is some sort of rock – or other material – that is able to turn other matter into gold.
That seems all kinds of far fetched, but maybe it’s not as literal as we presuppose.
I think it depends on how you want do define the word: Gold.
All this reminds me of the classic book, The Alchemist.
Glory. Amen.
A sixteenth-century alchemist wrote of the philosopher’s stone, “One finds it in the open country, in the village
and in the town. It is in everything which God created. Maids throw it on the street. Children play with it.” The giant water bug ate the world. And like Billy Bray I go my way, and my left foot says “Glory,” and my right foot says “Amen”: in and out of Shadow Creek, upstream and down, exultant, in a daze, dancing, to the twin silver trumpets of praise.
-Annie Dillard, Pilgrim At Tinker Creek