Gem Cutting and Cleansing

Hues and Colour

Gems are defined by their colour, which is made up of up to five different hues: Red, Blue, Green, White and Black, with each hue representing a pole of magic.

Each hue, if present, is found at one of three different intensities: Rich, Vibrant, or Muted.

The strongest hue(s) within a gem define the gem’s current colour. For example, if a gem has vibrant blue and red, muted green and white, and no black, the gem’s colour would be described as Purple (i.e. blue and red).

The magical potential of a gem is unlocked when all the hues that are present in a gem are at an equal level, and the greater the intensity of those hues, the greater its potential. These types of gems are called clear. Gems that contain additional hues at lesser intensities are called cloudy.

Gem Names

Cloudy gem names are prefixed by their colour, and their name reflects the number, and hues, of the strongest hues present within them:

• Single primary pole gems are agates
• Dual primary pole gems are topazes
• Gems with a single primary pole, and black, are quartz

Other combinations exist but these are the most common.

Clear gems have specific names, such as:

• Sapphires only contain a blue hue
• Rubies only contain a red hue
• Emeralds only contain a green hue

Gem Descriptions

The description of a gem will start with its intensity and primary colour, such as Rich Blue or Muted Green.

Following this, for cloudy gems, the description will include any lesser hues, and their intensity levels:

• Muted hues are described as specks
• Vibrant hues as bands

e.g. An agate could be described as “rich blue with bands of green and specks of red.”

Processes

Work unit and materials costs of some the below are found in Crafting Designs; the rest must be unlocked via research.

Process: Gem Cleansing

Cloudy gems can be turned into clear gems by cleansing away the specks and bands of the lesser hues.

The process allows you to remove a single level of intensity, from a single hue, at a time (e.g. from rich to vibrant, or muted to none). The lower the intensity of the hue being cleansed, the greater the effort will be needed to cleanse it.

It is not possible to remove all traces of every hue from a gem.

Note: Additional effort is required to cleanse a gem if it has already been cut.

Process: Gem Cutting

Clear gems have a magical potential that is based on the intensity of the hues.

This potential can be realised, and enhanced, by the cutting of a clear gem into specific patterns.

Cuts are aligned to a combination of poles and the optimal way to cut a gem is to use a pattern that matches the gem’s alignment.

Using a cut that does not align to the gem can lessen that gem’s overall potential, or, in extreme cases, have unexpected effects.

Cuts are made sequentially, i.e. first, then second, then third. Second and third cuts on a gem must be in the same pattern as the first cut made on that gem.

Each additional cut increases the gem’s potential.

Corporeal, Elemental, and Spiritual cuts are commonly known, however there are a variety of additional patterns that can be researched for other pole combinations.

Note: Cloudy gems cannot be cut. They can, however, be turned into powdered gemstone.

Process: Gem Etching

Once a clear gem has been cut, at least once, it becomes possible to finalise the gem and attune it to its purpose by etching a Seal into its surface.

Finalising means that the gem can no longer be cut or cleansed.

There are a wide variety of seals that can be researched, each providing a different effect. These effects often come in the form of charges, which are refreshed daily, however this is not always the case.

Note: The majority of seals are designed to enable the gem’s power to become accessible when it has been crafted into an appropriate item.

Process: Gem Setting

Blacksmiths, Artisans and Jewellers have the ability to set a single gem into an item during its crafting.

Care should be taken to ensure that “form & function” is considered when choosing what item to set a gem into. e.g. a gem with an effect of Aura of Defence is far better suited to an amulet than a sword. A gem of Mend would be better placed into a ring than a shield.

Note: It is not possible to set a gem into an item after the crafting has been completed. However, it is possible to remove a gem from a crafted item, at a jeweller’s workbench, without damage to the item, or the gem.

Maintenance

Crafted items that have had a gem set into them require maintenance as per any normal item, with the caveat that the gem does not become part of the materials required for this process.

Etched gems, whether set into crafted items, or not, require a separate maintenance process to keep their magical effect from fading, called polishing.

The crafted item that a gem has been set into will continue to exist as a normal crafted item if that gem expires. A gem’s magic will not be accessible if the crafted item expires.

Process: Gem Polishing

The power within an etched gem will permanently fade 12 months after etching.

However, gems can be maintained by a gem cutter by polishing them, which will reset the gem’s expiry date.

The number of cuts a gem has received will define which type of polishing cloth will be required.

Design: Polishing Cloths

Polishing cloths are single-use items used by gem cutters to maintain gems.

There are three qualities of cloth:

• Coarse, made by artisans, which can only be used to polish first cut gems
• Medium, made by papermakers, which can be used to polish first and second cut gems
• Fine, made by papermakers, which can be used to polish first, second and third cut gems

Gems as Resources

Clear gems are not available to select specifically using the Resources skill.

Instead, players have options to select gems that need some form of cleansing.

Options will be:

• Agate (i.e. the player receives a random Red, Blue or Green Agate each event)
• Topaz (i.e. the player receives a random Yellow, Turquoise or Purple Topaz each event)
• Quartz (i.e. the player receives a random Crimson, Sage or Navy Quartz each event)

These are all uncommon gems and the colour received will be random.

On rare occasions clear versions of these gems may be acquired.

There are other ways to acquire gems in game, such as traders, and NPC’s.

Expiry

Raw Gems (Raw Materials)

Have an expiry date of 2 years and cleansing does not affect this date.

This date cannot be extended or reset.

Cut Gems (without a Seal) (Finished Materials)

Have an expiry date of 3 years from the 1st Cut.

This cannot be extended or reset.

Note: 2nd and 3rd cuts do not affect a gem’s expiry date so remember that there is a 3-year timer from the 1st cut, within which the gem should be etched.

Etched Gems (Crafted Item)

Have an expiry date of 1 year from the time of etching.

This can be reset by a gem cutter, using Polishing.