Gems are a type of socketable item found in Diablo II, its expansion, and Diablo III. These precious stones embody innate magical abilities. When set into a socketed item, these gems can add powerful magic effects. Higher grades of gems have stronger effects.

Diablo IIEdit

Gem effects are stackable. If you place 3 Gems of the same type in a sword you will receive the bonus of all three. The first Gem that is placed will determine the color of the weapon.

They can only be obtained by killing monsters, opening chests or using a Gem Shrine with no other gem in your inventory. Vendors do not normally sell Gems. If another player in a multiplayer game sells a Gem to a Vendor you may be able to buy it. Vendors also will not typically pay you full price for socketed items.

Once inserted, gems cannot be removed from a socket, although they can be destroyed via a Horadric Cube recipe. The skulls of some demonic creatures, inscribed with eldritch symbols, are said to work much like gems. They were introduced to showcase the socketing system, which was expanded in the Lord of Destruction with the introduction of Runes and Jewels.

There are six types of gems, plus skulls, which are considered by the game to be gems for all purposes:

• Amethyst
• Diamond
• Emerald
• Ruby
• Sapphire
• Topaz
• Skull

They come in five levels of increasing quality:

• Chipped
• Flawed
• Normal
• Flawless
• Perfect

You can upgrade gems by using a Gem Shrine, with a gem in your inventory, or by using the Horadric Cube. You can use the Horadric Cube to convert gems into higher quality gems. Place 3 Gems of one type into the Horadric Cube and hit the Transmute button.

Diablo IIIEdit

In Diablo III, there are four different types of gems:

• Amethyst
• Emerald
• Ruby
• Topaz

They come in fifteen levels of increasing quality:

• Chipped
• Flawed
• Regular
• Flawless
• Perfect
• Radiant
• Square
• Flawless Square
• Perfect Square
• Radiant Square
• Star
• Flawless Star
• Perfect Star
• Radiant Star
• Marquise

In Diablo III, you upgrade gems through interaction with Covetous Shen, a jeweler. He will combine gems (2 gems for Flawed-Flawless Square, 3 for higher ranks) for an increasingly higher price, depending on the quality. Shen also offers to remove socketed gems from items, without destroying either one, also for a price.

Upgrade costEdit

Here is the cumulative resources required for upgrading a Gem from Flawless Square quality to each of higher quality. (Gems refers to Flawless Square quality, and ToS refers to Tome of Secrets.)

Flawless Square -> Perfect Square :   30k                       (  3 Gems,                   3 ToS)
Perfect Square  -> Radiant Square :   30k * 3 +  50k =   140k   (  9 Gems,   3 * 3 +  6 =   15 ToS)
Radiant Square  -> Star           :  140k * 3 +  80k =   500k   ( 27 Gems,  15 * 3 +  9 =   54 ToS)
Star            -> Flawless Star  :  500k * 3 + 100k =  1600k   ( 81 Gems,  54 * 3 + 12 =  174 ToS)
Flawless Star   -> Perfect Star   : 1600k * 3 + 200k =  5000k   (243 Gems, 174 * 3 + 15 =  537 ToS)
Perfect Star    -> Radiant Star   : 5000k * 3 + 400k = 15400k   (729 Gems, 537 * 3 + 20 = 1631 ToS)

Gems
Diablo II — Amethyst • Diamond • Emerald • Ruby • Sapphire • Topaz • Skull Diablo III — Amethyst • Emerald • Ruby • Topaz