This article is about an older version of DF.
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The gem industry deals with the processing of gems. Like other industries, it creates raw materials, finished goods, and can be used to enhance finished goods with decorations. Because of a near-infinite supply of glass pseudo-gems, the gem industry may be closely tied to the glass industry for training.
Jeweler's Workshop
The jeweler's workshop is the heart of the gem industry. Rough gems are taken to the jeweler's workshop, where dwarves use the Gem cutter skill to turn the rough gems into cut gems, large gems, or gem crafts. At the same workshop, a dwarf with the Gem setter skill can use the cut gems to encrust a wide variety of items.
Obtaining gems
The only way to obtain rough gems is through exploratory mining; every gem tile has a 100% chance of producing a gem when mined.
The glass industry is also a ready source of raw glass, which is treated in most ways as a rough gem. While glass has a relatively low value compared to other gems, with a magma glass furnace and sand it is possible to produce raw glass in bulk, instead of mining for gems. Raw glass is also a valuable way to give dwarves experience in gem cutting and gem setting, or at least prevent those skills from becoming rusty.
Gizzard stones can be produced from certain butchered animals. These behave like cut gems, not rough.
Finally, a number of gem products are generally available through trade with dwarf and human caravans, including cut gems, large gems, gem crafts, and various glass products. Caravans will often bring rough glass; rough gems, however, are notably not available for trade.
Gem cutting
Gem cutting is a job at the jeweler's workshop; you can choose which type of gem to cut based on what rough gems you have available. Cutting consumes a rough gem and may produce a cut gem, large gem, or gem craft. By far the most common result is a cut gem, which may be used for encrusting other objects (see Gem Setting, below). Large gems and gem crafts are finished goods and occur less often; gem crafts are rarer than large gems. The gem cutter's skill level does not affect the chances of producing a large gem or gem craft, but it does affect the quality of those goods.
Cut gems have a base value of 5, which is multiplied by the value of the gem (2-60). A cut gem is thus worth 10-300☼.
Large gems
Large gems are considered finished goods and cannot be used for any other purpose besides trading. Like most other finished goods, large gems have quality levels, dependent on the skill level in Gem Cutting. Large gems have a base value of 10, which is multiplied by the value of the gem (2-60) and the quality level (1-12). A large gem is thus worth 20-7,200☼.
Gem crafts
Gem crafts are crafts made out of a particular type of gem, and include figurines, rings, earrings, amulets, bracelets, scepters, and crowns. Like other crafts (and the above mentioned large gems), gem crafts have quality levels, dependent on the skill level in Gem Cutting. Glass cannot be made directly into crafts at a glass furnace, only through a jeweler's workshop. Crafts have a base value of 10, which is multiplied by the value of the gem (2-60) and the quality level (1-12). A gem craft is thus worth 20-7,200☼.
Perfect gems
Perfect gems are artifacts created by dwarves seized by a strange mood. They have a base value of 10, which is multiplied by the value of the gem (2-60) and the quality level (120); a perfect gem will always receive one free decoration, which effectively doubles the value. A perfect gem is thus worth 4,800-144,000☼. A perfect gem acts similarly to a large gem, such that it can only be used for boosting fortress value and trading (It cannot be used to encrust furniture, finished goods, etc.). Perfect gems cannot be created on purpose, but keeping a stockpile of high-value gems adjacent to the jeweler's workshop might increase the chance of a moody dwarf choosing one of them. Forbidding low-value gems is also an option.
Gem setting
Gem setting is a job at the jeweler's workshop, and takes a cut gem to encrust furniture, ammo, and finished goods. You can specify the type of object the dwarf will encrust, but not the specific object. To encrust a specific piece of equipment with a specific gem requires careful use of linked stockpiles.
Gem decorations have quality levels determined by the Gem Setter's skill level. Decorations have a base value of 10, which is multiplied by the value of the gem (2-60) and the quality level (1-12). A gem decoration is thus worth 20-7,200☼. A given item may possess multiple decorations (but only one using each type of gem), and encrusting items with gems can increase the wealth of a fortress substantially.
Glass
The glass industry produces raw glass, which is treated as a rough gem for most purposes. Cutting a raw glass gem usually yields a cut glass gem of the same type, and may yield a large cut glass gem or cut glass crafts. Perfect cut glass gems are also possible, but very rare due to the circumstances required for their creation. Cut glass gems may be set by a Gem setter, just like any other cut gem.
Glass crafts etc. made by gem cutting instead of normal glassmaking do not satisfy mandates for glass crafts or objects, but will satisfy mandates for large gems or gem crafts. Cut glass gems may also be used to construct a gem window, although this is less valuable than making a window directly from glass at a glass furnace.
Gem cutters receive the same experience cutting raw glass as other, more valuable gems; so it is possible for beginning jewelers to "train" by cutting raw green glass gems until they reach Legendary skill level. This requires a good source of sand and fuel or magma for the glass furnace, and provides a surplus of cut glass gems which may be used to encrust trade goods and the like to train gem setting as well.
Gem windows
Windows can be made out of any sort of glass at a glass furnace (in which case they are a type of furniture), or may be crafted out of any three cut gems (including cut glass gems), popularly known as a "gem window." If constructed of gems of a different color, a gem window will flash between the colors of the individual gems that make it up. Disassembling a "gem window" yields the gems that made it up.
Gem windows have no quality levels, so the value of a gem window is equal to the sum of the gems that made it up (2-60 per gem), for a total value of 6-180☼. By comparison, a glass window has a value modifier of 25, quality levels, and a material multiplier (2-10). In general, glass windows have a greater value, but gem windows can be deconstructed into their components should you want to use those cut gems for another purpose.
Industry management
The trick to making the most of your gems is care and attention to detail. Keep an eye out for stone types that contain valuable gems (like kimberlite, the source of all diamonds).
Create separate custom stockpiles for your high-value and low-value gems adjacent to one or two jeweler's workshops. Linking either stockpile to a jeweler's workshop will require jobs in that workshop to draw from that stockpile. Use (q-P) to set the jeweler's workshop profile so only specific dwarves can use it. In this manner you can ensure that only the most skilled cutters and setters work with your most valuable gems.
Raw glass and low-value ornamental gems are ideal for training Gem Cutting and Setting skills, particularly if your glass industry is in full swing.
When encrusting items, dwarves will generally go for the nearest piece of furniture/ammo/finished good that is not nailed down. To ensure that the gem setter encrusts the right item with the right gem(s), designate a small stockpile for that item as close to the jeweler's workshop as possible and link it to the jeweler's workshop. Note: when encrusting finished goods, any discarded clothing in the workshop or linked stockpiles may be decorated; there is currently no way to avoid this short of tedious micromanagement.
Industry overview
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| raw glass counts as rough gems
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Mining
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| Gem cutting
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Furnit. Hauling
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| Gem setting
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| Gem setting
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| Gem setting
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