Everything has its limit - iron ore cannot be educated into gold. Mark Twain
Labor is the true alchemist that beats out in patient transmutation the baser metals into gold. William Morley Punshon
For example, the dwarfs found out how to turn lead into gold by doing it the hard way. The difference between that and the easy way is that the hard way works. Terry Pratchett
And as an afterthought, this too must be told: Some people have taken pure bullshit and turned it into gold. Neil Young
Turn iron (or stone) into gold by the touch. Chinese Proverb
Get what you can, and what you get, hold; it's the stone that will turn all your lead into gold. American Proverb