The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word ALCHEMIST
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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More clues leading to the result ALCHEMIST
- Fancy his metal changed?
- Medieval conjuror converted St Michael
- Dabbler in potions maybe St Michael converted
- Newton, for one, claims the ground
- Carbon, hydrogen and metals: I turn them into gold
- The claims that could be made by such as Paracelsus
- Child, in transforming metal, is a budding scientist
- Does he transform his metal, adding in lead in coalescence?
- One can work a miracle? The claim’s false!
- Scientific pioneer, 50, appearing in long film
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Dabbler in potions maybe" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case dabbler in potions maybe = alchemist.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ALCHEMIST mean?
ALCHEMIST noun- One who practices alchemy.
- One who blends material or substances in the nature or supposed nature of alchemy.