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A gem is generally an item that can be used as an ingredient primarily for Jewelcrafting recipes or placed into a socket of another item to give that item additional bonuses, powers and/or procs. Jewelcrafters can turn raw gems into socket gems or various jewelry items like rings and necklaces. The term "gem" can be used for raw or cut stones, but is often only used to describe cut gems. A gem cannot be removed once it is placed into a socket, however it can be overwritten by another, destroying it in the process.
Socketable gems[]
There are four socket types: red, yellow, blue, and meta. Any gem can be placed into any socket, and you will receive the bonus for that gem; however, if all the gems' colors match all the sockets' colors on an item, you will receive an additional socket bonus.
The only exception is the powerful meta gem; which can only be placed into a meta socket, and a meta socket can only accept meta gems. In addition, if the meta gem's requirements are not met, that meta gem will not be activated, and you will receive neither the meta gem's bonuses nor any socket bonus from the item containing the meta gem. You can socket the meta gem without meeting the requirements, but the meta gem will remain inactive until you do meet its requirements (which can be done either by socketing new gems, or equipping new items containing the required gems).
A meta gem requires you to have currently equipped items socketed with a certain number and color of other gems. These colors can be as either primary or secondary colors (see below.)
(Note: Meta sockets are only found on high-end head gear.)
Gem stats[]
A stat is associated with a primary color (red, yellow, blue). For example, strength is a red stat. That means having strength in a yellow or blue gem is impossible.
However, gems come in both primary and secondary colors. As seen on the Color Wheel below, if you mix red and yellow, you get orange. An orange gem will provide one red stat and one yellow stat, each in approximately one-half the amount that a primary-colored gem would.
It is most important to note that, for the purposes of both socket bonuses and meta-gem requirements, a secondary-colored gem is considered to be a gem of BOTH of its primary colors. Thus, an orange gem will be considered to be both a red gem AND a yellow gem at the same time.
This means that if you really want strength, and your item only contains a yellow socket, then the only way to get both strength and the socket bonus is with an orange gem, which will dilute the strength stat with a yellow stat like critical strike rating or resilience.
| Red | ||
| Purple | Orange | |
| Blue | Yellow | |
| Green |
This table shows all existing stat-color associations.
| Attribute | Offensive | Defensive | Prefix | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Socket</imagelink> | Attack Power | X | Bright | |
| 2 | Red Socket</imagelink> | Armor Penetration Rating | X | Fractured | |
| 3 | Red Socket</imagelink> | Expertise Rating | X | Precise | |
| 4 | Red Socket</imagelink> | Spell Power | X | Runed | |
| 5 | Red Socket</imagelink> | Strength | X | X | Bold |
| 6 | Red Socket</imagelink> | Agility | X | X | Delicate |
| 7 | Red Socket</imagelink> | Dodge Rating | X | Subtle | |
| 8 | Red Socket</imagelink> | Parry Rating | X | Flashing | |
| 9 | Yellow Socket</imagelink> | Critical Strike Rating | X | Smooth | |
| 10 | Yellow Socket</imagelink> | Hit Rating | X | Rigid | |
| 11 | Yellow Socket</imagelink> | Haste Rating | X | Quick | |
| 12 | Yellow Socket</imagelink> | Intellect | X | X | Brilliant |
| 13 | Yellow Socket</imagelink> | Resilience Rating | X | Mystic | |
| 14 | Yellow Socket</imagelink> | Defense Rating | X | Thick | |
| 15 | Blue Socket</imagelink> | Spell Penetration | X | Stormy | |
| 16 | Blue Socket</imagelink> | Stamina | X | Solid | |
| 17 | Blue Socket</imagelink> | Mana every 5 seconds | X | Lustrous | |
| 18 | Blue Socket</imagelink> | Spirit | X | Sparkling |
This table shows all existing stat mixes and their name prefixes.
| A. Power | A. Pen. | Expertise | S. Power | Strength | Agility | Dodge | Parry | Critical | Hit | Haste | Intellect | Resilience | Defense | S. Pen. | Stamina | Mp5 | Spirit | |
| A. Power | Bright | Wicked | Pristine | Stark | Empowered | Balanced | Infused | |||||||||||
| A. Pen. | Fractured | Puissant | ||||||||||||||||
| Expertise | Precise | Accurate | Resolute | Guardian's | ||||||||||||||
| S. Power | Runed | Potent | Veiled | Reckless | Luminous | Durable | Mysterious | Glowing | Royal | Purified | ||||||||
| Strength | Bold | Inscribed | Etched | Fierce | Resplendent | Champion's | Sovereign | |||||||||||
| Agility | Delicate | Deadly | Glinting | Deft | Lucent | Shifting | Tenuous | |||||||||||
| Dodge | Subtle | Stalwart | Regal | |||||||||||||||
| Parry | Flashing | Glimmering | Defender's |
| ||||||||||||||
| Critical | Wicked | Potent | Inscribed | Deadly | Smooth | Radiant | Jagged | Sundered | Misty | |||||||||
| Hit | Pristine | Accurate | Veiled | Etched | Glinting | Rigid | Tense | Vivid | Lambent | Shining | ||||||||
| Haste | Stark | Reckless | Fierce | Deft | Quick | Shattered | Forceful | Energized | Intricate | |||||||||
| Intellect | Luminous | Brilliant | Timeless | Dazzling | Seer's | |||||||||||||
| Resilience | Empowered | Durable | Resplendent | Lucent | Mystic | Steady | Opaque | Turbid | ||||||||||
| Defense | Resolute | Champion's | Stalwart | Glimmering | Thick | Enduring | ||||||||||||
| S. Pen. | Mysterious | Radiant | Tense | Shattered | Stormy | |||||||||||||
| Stamina | Balanced | Puissant | Guardian's | Glowing | Sovereign | Shifting | Regal | Defender's | Jagged | Vivid | Forceful | Timeless | Steady | Enduring | Solid | |||
| Mp5 | Infused | Royal | Tenuous | Sundered | Lambent | Energized | Dazzling | Opaque | Lustrous | |||||||||
| Spirit | Purified | Misty | Shining | Intricate | Seer's | Turbid | Sparkling |
Outland gems[]
These pages concern the gems specific to the
Burning Crusade era.
Complete list:
- Outland gems
Specific articles:
- Outland uncommon gems
- Outland rare gems
- Outland epic gems
Northrend gems[]
These pages concern the gems new to Wrath of the Lich King.
- Northrend gems reference table
- Northrend gems by color
Notes[]
- Multi-colored gems will match either of their colors when socketed. For example, an orange gem can be used to activate an item bonus with a red or yellow socket.
- Multi-colored gems will count toward both of their colors when activating a meta gem. For example, a meta gem that requires 5 red and 5 yellow gems can be activated with 5 orange gems.
- You can replace a gem already socketed in an item with another one, destroying only the gems you are replacing.
- A gem does not have to match its socket color to count toward a meta gem's bonus.
See also[]
- List of raw minerals.
External links[]
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