Transmuter
From EQ2-Daily.com EQ2 Wiki
Transmuters break down equipment into special pieces that can be used to make adornments. Treasured ( or better ) non stackable items are used. Anything no-value will not be transmutable. Now Transmuting is either very slow to progress or very expensive to progress. As a secondary skill you don't earn xp you have a chance at skill up when you breakdown equipment (up to your first 100 skill points) or when you craft transmuter made adornments. My advice would be to do nothing but break down equipment for your first 100 skill points as you will need a ton of components to get to 350 anyway.
The ability to break down equipment uses the following formula (skill/5(rounded down)) + 5= item level that can be broken down ie. skill 222----- 222/5= 44.5 rounded down = 44 ----- 44+5=49 so someone with a 222 transmuting skill can break down up to lvl 49 equipment.
The types of equipment broke down determines which of 4 types of components are produced the types are: Fragments Powders Infusions and Mana. Treasured and Mastercrafted equipment will yield Fragment 3 of 4 or powder 1 of 4. Legendary or adept 3's yield powder 3-4 or infusion 1-4. Fabled will yield infusion 3-4 or Mana 1-4. Every adornment is going to use fragments and powders, legendary adornments require infusions as well as powders and fragments, Fabled adornments will require Mana infusions powders and fragments. IMHO the components for tier 4 on are much to valuable to use to grind skill points you can skill up on trivial although the rate is lower, however like leveling tradeskills the common stuff just isn't going to sell for much over vendor price and certainly isn't going to come near to the price you might have gotten for the equipment.
My advice if you wish to do this and or tinkering is to have a toon locked at lvl 9 in either the freeport or Qeynos starter island harvesting tier 1 copper lapis lazuli and solidified loam as well as various tier one drops. Making the tier one adept 3's and transmuting them helps for tier 1 when you craft a legendary adornment to pristine you get the powder returned hence it only costs you the infusion and fragments (of which you will have plenty) thus giving you 2 chances at skill up with one powder.
