Gem

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v50.14 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

Small clusters of rough gems can be found almost anywhere while mining. After they have been mined by a miner and cut by a gem cutter, a gem setter can use them to encrust furniture, crafts, and ammunition. In addition, raw rock crystals are required to make crystal glass goods. Cut gems can also be used to create windows and are often required as a source material for legendary artifacts. Gem encrusted weapons and armor can be found in game, but cannot be made in fortress mode. Stones, including the various types of clay, can also be cut into gems.

A large variety of cut gems can be brought by and requested from the dwarven caravan. Rough gems must be procured by your own miners, you cannot import them. Human and dwarven caravans will also bring raw glass gems.

Exactly 5% of all rough gems will be cut into a single craft or large gem (with 1 craft for every 8 large gems), and the same occurs with raw glass (but with different ratios - 33% of all jobs, producing 11 crafts for every 16 large gems). Note that these will replace a cut gem and cannot be used to encrust goods. The value of such crafts can easily reach hundreds, even several thousand in the case of valuable gems and good craftsdwarfship. A dwarf with a strange mood can take a single gem and cut it into a legendary artifact known as a "perfect gem" - this is simply a special name for an artifact large gem.

If you have any bags of sand, you can also manufacture raw glass, which is the same as a lower-value, uncut gem.

Gizzard stones are found as a by-product when butchering some animals, and can be used like cut gems. Only few animal species give gizzard stones, but each member of such a species butchered will yield one, which can lead to a decent supply when you manage to set up an ostrich farm.

Value

Gems have base value of 3 in rough form, which is multiplied by the appropriate value modifier from the table below. They gain value after they are cut in a jeweler's workshop. Cut gems have a base value of 5. Items can be decorated (encrusted) with cut gems; all such decorations have a value of 10 times the gem type's value multiplier. See Gem cutting and Gem setting. Large gems have a base value of 10, and can also have a quality modifier which increases value.

Varieties

Gems come in many varieties, with their own color and value multipliers:

Rarity	Gem name	Value (×)	Color	Graphic	Found where	Found how
Synthetic	green glass	2	☼♦2:0		Glass furnace	Manufactured
Synthetic	clear glass	5	☼♦3:0		Glass furnace	Manufactured
Synthetic	crystal glass	10	☼♦7:1		Glass furnace	Manufactured
Ornamental	amber opal	10	☼♦6:0		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	aventurine	3	☼♦2:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	banded agate	2	☼♦4:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	bloodstone	2	☼♦4:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	blue jade	2	☼♦1:1		Alluvial	Small clusters
Ornamental	bone opal	10	☼♦7:0		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	brown jasper	2	☼♦6:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	carnelian	2	☼♦4:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	cherry opal	10	☼♦4:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	chrysocolla	2	☼♦3:1		Malachite	Small clusters
Ornamental	chrysoprase	2	☼♦2:1		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	citrine	2	☼♦6:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	clear tourmaline	10	☼♦7:0		Metamorphic, Sedimentary, Granite	Small clusters
Ornamental	dendritic agate	2	☼♦7:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	fire agate	2	☼♦6:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	fortification agate	2	☼♦7:1		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	gold opal	10	☼♦6:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	gray chalcedony	2	☼♦7:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	jasper opal	10	☼♦7:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	lace agate	2	☼♦1:1		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	lapis lazuli	2	☼♦1:1		Igneous intrusive, Marble	Small clusters
Ornamental	lavender jade	2	☼♦5:0		Alluvial	Small clusters
Ornamental	milk opal	10	☼♦7:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	milk quartz	2	☼♦7:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	moonstone	2	☼♦7:1		Metamorphic	Small clusters
Ornamental	morion	2	☼♦0:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	moss agate	2	☼♦2:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	moss opal	10	☼♦2:0		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	onyx opal	10	☼♦7:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	onyx	2	☼♦0:1		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	picture jasper	3	☼♦6:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	pineapple opal	10	☼♦7:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	pink jade	2	☼♦5:1		Alluvial	Small clusters
Ornamental	pipe opal	10	☼♦7:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	plume agate	2	☼♦6:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	prase opal	10	☼♦2:0		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	prase	2	☼♦2:0		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	pyrite	2	☼♦6:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	resin opal	10	☼♦6:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	rock crystal	2	☼♦7:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	rose quartz	3	☼♦4:1		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	sardonyx	2	☼♦4:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	sard	2	☼♦4:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	schorl	2	☼♦0:1		Metamorphic, Sedimentary, Granite	Small clusters
Ornamental	shell opal	10	☼♦7:0		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	smoky quartz	2	☼♦6:0		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	sunstone	2	☼♦6:1		Basalt, Gneiss	Small clusters
Ornamental	tiger iron	2	☼♦6:1		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	tigereye	2	☼♦6:1		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	tube agate	2	☼♦6:0		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	turquoise	2	☼♦3:1		Igneous extrusive, Kaolinite, Granite	Small clusters
Ornamental	variscite	2	☼♦2:0		Bauxite	Small clusters
Ornamental	wax opal	10	☼♦6:0		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	white chalcedony	2	☼♦7:1		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Ornamental	white jade	2	☼♦7:1		Alluvial	Small clusters
Ornamental	wood opal	10	☼♦6:0		All stone	Small clusters
Ornamental	yellow jasper	2	☼♦6:1		Sedimentary	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	alexandrite	20	☼♦5:1		Granite, Schist, Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	almandine	20	☼♦4:0		Metamorphic, Diorite, Gabbro	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	amethyst	20	☼♦5:1		All stone	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	aquamarine	20	☼♦3:1		Granite, Schist, Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	bandfire opal	20	☼♦7:1		All stone	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	black opal	30	☼♦0:1		All stone	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	black pyrope	20	☼♦0:1		Metamorphic, Kimberlite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	black zircon	20	☼♦0:1		All igneous, Metamorphic	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	blue garnet	30	☼♦1:0		Metamorphic, Granite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	brown zircon	20	☼♦6:0		All igneous, Metamorphic	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	cat's eye	20	☼♦7:1		Granite, Schist, Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	chrysoberyl	20	☼♦2:1		Granite, Schist, Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	cinnamon grossular	20	☼♦6:0		Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	claro opal	20	☼♦1:1		All stone	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	clear garnet	20	☼♦7:0		Metamorphic, Granite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	clear zircon	25	☼♦7:1		All igneous, Metamorphic	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	crystal opal	20	☼♦7:1		All stone	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	demantoid	30	☼♦2:0		Chromite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	fire opal	15	☼♦4:1		All stone	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	golden beryl	20	☼♦6:1		Granite, Schist, Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	goshenite	20	☼♦7:1		Granite, Schist, Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	green jade	20	☼♦2:1		Alluvial	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	green tourmaline	20	☼♦2:0		Metamorphic, Sedimentary, Granite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	green zircon	20	☼♦2:0		All igneous, Metamorphic	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	harlequin opal	20	☼♦7:1		All stone	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	heliodor	20	☼♦2:1		Granite, Schist, Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	honey yellow beryl	20	☼♦6:0		Granite, Schist, Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	indigo tourmaline	25	☼♦1:0		Metamorphic, Sedimentary, Granite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	jelly opal	15	☼♦6:0		All stone	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	kunzite	20	☼♦5:1		Granite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	levin opal	20	☼♦6:1		All stone	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	light yellow diamond	30	☼♦7:1		Kimberlite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	melanite	15	☼♦0:1		Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	morganite	20	☼♦5:1		Granite, Schist, Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	peridot	20	☼♦2:1		Gabbro	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	pinfire opal	20	☼♦7:1		All stone	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	pink garnet	20	☼♦5:1		Metamorphic, Granite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	pink tourmaline	15	☼♦4:1		Metamorphic, Sedimentary, Granite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	precious fire opal	20	☼♦4:1		All stone	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	purple spinel	20	☼♦5:0		Metamorphic, Diorite, Gabbro	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	red beryl	20	☼♦4:1		Granite, Schist, Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	red flash opal	20	☼♦4:1		All stone	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	red grossular	20	☼♦4:0		Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	red pyrope	20	☼♦4:0		Metamorphic, Kimberlite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	red spinel	20	☼♦4:0		Metamorphic, Diorite, Gabbro	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	red tourmaline	15	☼♦4:0		Metamorphic, Sedimentary, Granite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	red zircon	20	☼♦4:0		All igneous, Metamorphic	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	rhodolite	20	☼♦5:0		Metamorphic, Kimberlite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	rubicelle	20	☼♦6:1		Metamorphic, Diorite, Gabbro	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	tanzanite	20	☼♦5:1		Gabbro	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	topazolite	20	☼♦6:1		Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	topaz	20	☼♦6:1		Granite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	tsavorite	30	☼♦2:0		Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	violet spessartine	20	☼♦5:1		Metamorphic, Granite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	white opal	20	☼♦7:1		All stone	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	yellow grossular	20	☼♦6:1		Marble	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	yellow spessartine	20	☼♦6:1		Metamorphic, Granite	Small clusters
Semi-Precious	yellow zircon	20	☼♦6:1		All igneous, Metamorphic	Small clusters
Precious	emerald	40	☼♦2:0		Granite, Schist, Marble	Small clusters
Precious	faint yellow diamond	40	☼♦6:0		Kimberlite	Small clusters
Precious	ruby	40	☼♦4:0		Bauxite	Small clusters
Precious	sapphire	40	☼♦1:0		Bauxite	Small clusters
Rare	black diamond	60	☼♦0:1		Faint yellow diamond	Single gem
Rare	blue diamond	60	☼♦1:0		Faint yellow diamond	Single gem
Rare	clear diamond	60	☼♦7:1		Faint yellow diamond	Single gem
Rare	green diamond	60	☼♦2:0		Faint yellow diamond	Single gem
Rare	red diamond	60	☼♦4:0		Faint yellow diamond	Single gem
Rare	star ruby	60	☼♦4:1		Ruby	Single gem
Rare	star sapphire	60	☼♦1:1		Sapphire	Single gem
Rare	yellow diamond	60	☼♦6:1		Faint yellow diamond	Single gem

See here or here for a sortable, print-friendly spreadsheet with all gems and their values.

Unlike other gems, diamonds can ignite if they come into contact with magma.

Gem Cuts

Finished gems have a particular cut. These cuts do not affect the gem's value. A gem can have multiple cuts, such as a "square brilliant" cut or "tapered baguette" cut. Some gem cuts are also known as "cabochons." Cabochons have a basic "shape" cut but not any more complicated cut. Gizzard stones do not have cuts.

List of cuts:

• baguette
• brilliant
• briolette
• cushion
• emerald
• marquise
• octagon
• oval
• pear
• point
• radiant
• rectangular
• round
• single
• square
• table
• tapered
• trillion

Rare Gems

Faint yellow diamonds only appear in kimberlite (which itself only appears in gabbro layers) and sapphires and rubies only appear in bauxite (which occurs in any sedimentary layers). Colored diamonds only occur in pre-existing clusters of faint yellow diamonds. Star sapphires and rubies only occur within clusters of their peers.

Glass

Raw glass is treated as an uncut gem. There are three subtypes of raw glass (and, once cut, of cut glass gems):

Gems

Gem name	Value	Color	Requires
green glass	2×	☼♦	bag full of sand
clear glass	5×	☼♦	bag full of sand + pearlash
crystal glass	10×	☼♦	rough rock crystal + pearlash

Making raw glass requires a dwarf with the glassmaking labor designated, and, just like working metal, it also requires fuel (either coke or charcoal) at a normal glass furnace, or magma at a magma glass furnace. Like all gems, raw glass has no quality modifiers.

Raw gems are only one of the many things your glassmakers can make from glass. See glass and glass industry for more information.

Bugs

Finished goods stockpiles will not accept items made from "gemstone" materials. As a consequence, the only reliable way to move large gems and gemstone crafts is to select them for trading at a Trade Depot; after arriving at the Depot they cannot be moved elsewhere, except to a different Trade Depot. Alternatively, they can be designated for dumping, and can be re-claimed later from the black hole garbage dump. (They will also be moved to a craft workshop - and left there - if they are selected to be decorated/encrusted there, but it is difficult to make this occur by player actions.) This is presumably a bug.

Gem stockpiles cannot be set to permit or restrict cabochons, so dwarfs won't recognize stockpile settings when storing them. This may lead to odd behavior, such as dwarfs moving cabochons from cut gem stockpiles to rough gem stockpiles, regardless of established stockpile/workshop links.

Crafts and large gems cut from glass are not affected by the bug - the various "glass" materials are recognised by stockpiles correctly and they are stored and handled without problems.