Dominions 3: The Awakening/Magic/Alchemy

The last of the magic activities is alchemy. With alchemy you can make gold out of magical gems but you can also transmute magic gems into other types of gems. There are a set of buttons that allows you to convert gems into other kinds of gems and gold. You can never convert blood slaves into anything else nor can you create blood slave from gems. Blood slaves are collected during long and hard expeditions in remote provinces.

Alchemy, unlike most other actions on the strategic phase of the game doesn't take one turn in time. Instead it is instanteous. A mage can convert gems and then go and make a move or go and Research.

Gems into other gems
To convert gems into other gems you need to first convert them into Astral Pearls with a rate of 2 gems for 1 Astral Pearl. Astral Pearls can then be alchemized into gems of any other type (Blood Slaves excluded) at a rate of 2 Astral Pearls for 1 gem.

Gems to Gold
You can convert Fire and Earth gems into gold. Fire Gems can be turned into 15 gold per gem and Earth Gems can be turned into 10 gold per gem.

When to use Alchemy
Since Alchemy consumes precious magic gems at a high rate you must think of times when you truly need alchemy. Such situations include:
 * Converting gem type you don't need to other gems
 * Getting a gem type you need but don't have
 * Gaining emergency Gold from Fire and Earth gems