Diablo II Guide: Gems for Armor and Weapons in Lord of Destruction

Diablo II Guide: Gems for Armor and Weapons in Lord of Destruction
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Basics

Gems in Diablo II are socketable items that add magical effects to socketed weapons, shields, and helms. Helms and shields can have anywhere from one to four sockets, while weapons can have one to six sockets.The expansion, Lord of Destruction, added socketed armor and improved gem buffs.

There are seven types of gems, each with a different effect relating to its color, and five grades of gems which determine the degree of effect. You can’t remove gems once they go into a socket, so take careful consideration before you use them. Save more valuable gems for rare and powerful equipment and vice versa.

Grades of Gems

The five grades of gems have a restricted use based on your character level:

  1. Chipped – Requires character level 1. Selling price: 250 (500 for Skulls).
  2. Flawed – Requires character level 5. Selling price: 750 (1500 for Skulls).
  3. Normal – Requires character level 12. Selling price: 2500 (5000 for Skulls).
  4. Flawless – Requires character level 15. Selling price: 7500 (15000 for Skulls).
  5. Perfect – Requires character level 18. Selling price: 15000 (30000 for Skulls).

There are two ways to upgrade a gem. The first is to touch a gem shrine, which upgrades one random gem in your inventory. If you want to upgrade a specific gem, drop everything else so it becomes the only gem in your inventory. The second way to upgrade a gem is to transmute three of the same quality gem in the Horadric Cube. This will create single new gem one grade higher.

Amethyst

Amethysts are purple. They symbolize endurance and vitality.

  • Chipped – +40 to Attack Rating in weapons; +8 to Defense in shields; +3 to Strength in helms and armor.
  • Flawed – +60 to Attack Rating in weapons; +12 to Defense in shields; +4 to Strength in helms and armor.
  • Normal – +80 to Attack Rating in weapons; +18 to Defense in shields; +6 to Strength in helms and armor.
  • Flawless – +100 to Attack Rating in weapons; +24 to Defense in shields; +8 to Strength in helms and armor.
  • Perfect – +150 to Attack Rating in weapons; +30 to Defense in shields; +10 to Strength in helms and armor.

Topaz

Topaz

Topazes are yellow. They symbolize the power of lightning.

  • Chipped – +1-8 Lightning Damage in weapons; +12% Lightning Resist in shields; +9% Magic Find in helms and armor.
  • Flawed – +1-14 Lightning Damage in weapons; +16% Lightning Resist in shields; +13% Magic Find in helms and armor.
  • Normal – +1-22 Lightning Damage in weapons; +22% Lightning Resist in shields; +16% Magic Find in helms and armor.
  • Flawless – +1-30 Lightning Damage in weapons; +28% Lightning Resist in shields; +20% Magic Find in helms and armor.
  • Perfect – +1-40 Lightning Damage in weapons; +40% Lightning Resist in shields; +24% Magic Find in helms and armor.

Sapphire

Sapphire

Sapphires are blue. They symbolize the power of cold.

  • Chipped – +1-3 Cold Damage in weapons; +12% Resist Cold in shields; +10 to maximum Mana in helms and armor.
  • Flawed – +3-5 Cold Damage in weapons; +16% Resist Cold in shields; +17 to maximum Mana in helms and armor.
  • Normal – +4-7 Cold Damage in weapons; +22% Resist Cold in shields; +24 to maximum Mana in helms and armor.
  • Flawless – +6-10 Cold Damage in weapons; +28% Resist Cold in shields; +31 to maximum Mana in helms and armor.
  • Perfect – +10-14 Cold Damage in weapons; +40% Resist Cold in shields; +38 to maximum Mana in helms and armor.

Emerald

EmeraldEmeraldEmerald

Emerald

Emeralds are green. They symbolize the power of poison.

  • Chipped – +10 Poison Damage to weapons; +12% Resist Poison to shields; +3 to Dexterity in helms and armor.
  • Flawed – +20 Poison Damage to weapons; +16% Resist Poison to shields; +4 to Dexterity in helms and armor.
  • Normal – +40 Poison Damage to weapons; +22% Resist Poison to shields; +6 to Dexterity in helms and armor.
  • Flawless – +60 Poison Damage to weapons; +28% Resist Poison to shields; +8 to Dexterity in helms and armor.
  • Perfect – +100 Poison Damage to weapons; +40% Resist Poison to shields; +10 to Dexterity in helms and armor.

Ruby

Ruby

Rubies are red. They symbolize the power of fire.

  • Chipped – +3-4 Fire Damage to weapons; +12% Resist Fire to shields; +10 to maximum Hit Points in helms and armor.
  • Flawed – +5-8 Fire Damage to weapons; +16% Resist Fire to shields; +17 to maximum Hit Points in helms and armor.
  • Normal – +8-12 Fire Damage to weapons; +22% Resist Fire to shields; +24 to maximum Hit Points in helms and armor.
  • Flawless – +10-16 Fire Damage to weapons; +28% Resist Fire to shields; +31 to maximum Hit Points in helms and armor.
  • Perfect – +15-20 Fire Damage to weapons; +40% Resist Fire to shields; +38 to maximum Hit Points in helms and armor.

Diamond

Diamond

Diamonds are white. They symbolize purity and light.

  • Chipped – +28% damage versus Undead in weapons; +6% to all Resistances in shields; +20 to Attack Rating in helms and armor.
  • Flawed – +34% damage versus Undead in weapons; +8% to all Resistances in shields; +40 to Attack Rating in helms and armor.
  • Normal – +44% damage versus Undead in weapons; +11% to all Resistances in shields; +60 to Attack Rating in helms and armor.
  • Flawless – +54% damage versus Undead in weapons; +14% to all Resistances in shields; +80 to Attack Rating in helms and armor.
  • Perfect – +60% damage versus Undead in weapons; +19% to all Resistances in shields; +100 to Attack Rating in helms and armor.

Skull

Skull

Skulls work like gems in socketed items.

  • Chipped – Hit steals 2% Life and 1% Mana in weapons; attacker takes 4 damage in shields; Replenish Life +2, Regenerate Mana +8% in helms and armor.
  • Flawed – Hit steals 2% Life and 2% Mana in weapons; attacker takes 8 damage in shields; Replenish Life +3, Regenerate Mana +8% in helms and armor.
  • Normal – Hit steals 3% Life and 2% Mana in weapons; attacker takes 12 damage in shields; Replenish Life +3, Regenerate Mana +12% in helms and armor.
  • Flawless – Hit steals 3% Life and 3% Mana in weapons; attacker takes 16 damage in shields; Replenish Life +4, Regenerate Mana +12% in helms and armor.
  • Perfect – Hit steals 4% Life and 3% Mana in weapons; attacker takes 20 damage in shields; Replenish Life +52, Regenerate Mana +19% in helms and armor.

This post is part of the series: Diablo II Guide

Guide to all things Diablo II

  1. Diablo II Lord of Destruction: Jewel Prefixes
  2. Diablo II Lord of Destruction: Jewel Suffixes
  3. Shrines in Diablo II: Lord of Destruction
  4. Diablo 2 Lord of Destruction: Original Rune Words
  5. Runes in Diablo II Lord of Destruction
  6. Diablo 2 Lord of Destruction: Rune 1.10 Words for Weapons
  7. Diablo 2 Lord of Destruction: Rune 1.11 Words
  8. Diablo 2 Lord of Destruction: Rune 1.10 Words for Armor and Shields
  9. (Classic) Diablo 2: Gems
  10. Diablo II Guide: Gems in Lord of Destruction
  11. Diablo II Guide to Potions
  12. Diablo 2 Lord of Destruction: Rune 1.10 Words for Weapons- Ladder Characters Only
  13. Diablo 2 Lord of Destruction: Rune 1.10 Words for Armor- Ladder Characters Only
  14. Small Charm Prefixes in Diablo 2
  15. Small Charm Suffixes in Diablo 2
  16. Large Charm Suffixes in Diablo 2
  17. Large Charm Prefixes in Diablo 2
  18. Grand Charm Suffixes in Diablo 2
  19. Grand Charm Prefixes in Diablo 2
  20. Diablo 2 Horadric Cube: Recipes To Create Blood Items
  21. Diablo 2 Horadric Cube: Recipes To Create Caster Items
  22. Diablo 2 Horadric Cube: Recipes To Create Hit Power Items
  23. Diablo 2 Horadric Cube: Recipes To Create Safety Items in Diablo 2
  24. Diablo 2 Item Guide: Transmuting in the Horadric Cube
  25. Diablo 2 Item Guide: Transmuting in the Horadric Cube v 1.10 (Single, Ladder characters)
  26. Diablo 2 Item Guide: Transmuting in the Horadric Cube v 1.10
  27. Indie Treasures: Dwarf Fortress