A straightforward approach - encode the value of the metals onto a ring of 0 to 5 quicksilvers, then use the ring to pass on the same number of quicksilvers for promoting lead atoms. On the other hand, the glyph of animismus tests for the cardinal elements and the duplicated elemental atoms carry away the promoted gold. 
As it turns out, the hardest part of this design was getting the quicksilver ring in the correct order; if the hexarm holding the ring rotates clockwise, the encoding must be done anticlockwise, so a second hexarm is needed to do the encoding.

Apparently many people are very confident this week; am excited to see the madness of the top solves.