Hey everyone, and welcome! In this guide, we're going to break down everything you need to know about Gems in New World: Aeternum. These small, shiny stones may look unassuming, but slotting the right ones into your gear is an absolute game-changer. Whether you're looking to deal massive damage, survive a brutal boss beating, or hold aggro like a pro tank, the correct gems are essential. Of course, if you're looking to fast-track your gearing process, you can always buy New World Coins to help acquire the best gems and gear from the Trading Post. We'll cover how to get them, what each one does, and exactly how to choose the right gems for any content, whether it's PVE, PVP, or that tough Mutation you're stuck on. By the end, you'll know how to make your gear work for you.

Part 1: How to Get and Slot Gems

There are two main ways to get your hands on gems: buying them or crafting them yourself.

Method 1: The Trading Post (The Easy Way)

The simplest and fastest method is to visit the Trading Post. If you have the coin, you can buy any gem you need, already cut and ready to slot. This is a fantastic option if you're in a hurry to complete a build or just want to skip the grind.

Method 2: Mining & Crafting (The DIY Way)

If you're looking to be self-sufficient or save some gold, you can mine and craft your own gems.

1. Mining: Head out into Aeternum and start mining! You can obtain raw gemstones as rare drops from various ores, including Iron, Silver, Gold, and other higher-tier veins.

2. Refining: Once you have your raw gemstones, you'll need to visit an Outfitting Station. This is where you refine them into cut gems that can be slotted into your gear.

3. Materials: Refining requires more than just the raw stone. You'll also need Motes, Wisps, or Essences. These elemental materials are tied to specific gem types. For example, refining a Ruby requires Fire Motes, while an Aquamarine needs Water Motes. Higher-tier gems require the more refined versions of these materials (Wisps and Essences).

4. Gem Tiers: There are four tiers of gems: Flawed, Regular, Brilliant, and Pristine. The higher the tier, the more powerful the gem's effect. For the biggest bonuses, especially in end-game content, you'll want to aim for Pristine gems.

How to Slot Gems

Once you have your cut gem (bought or crafted), slotting it is easy. Just drag the gem from your inventory onto a weapon or armor piece that has an open socket. The effects apply instantly.

Important Warning: Once a gem is slotted, it's locked in. You can replace it with a new gem later, but the original gem is destroyed in the process. Be absolutely sure about your choice before slotting that expensive Pristine gem!

Part 2: Matching Gems to Your Content

The key to using gems effectively is maximizing your protection or damage output based on what you're fighting. This is where strategy comes in.

Maximizing Protection in PVE (Especially Mutations)

In high-level PVE content like Mutations, the goal is to counter the primary damage type of the enemies. When you fully slot your armor with Pristine gems that match the Mutation's element, and pair that with an amulet that has the same protection, you can reach huge damage resistance numbers.

· The 63% Target: Slotting a full set of armor with the correct elemental gems will bring you to about 63% protection against that specific element. This is the recommended target for high-level Mutations (like M3s) and is often the difference between survival and a wipe.

· The Shield Factor (For Sword & Shield/Flail Users): If you're using a shield, you can get even tankier. Adding an Enchanted Ward and the matching elemental protection perk (e.g., "Flame Ward") to your shield can push your total damage absorption to a staggering 77.9%. If your shield also has the Elemental Resistance perk, that's another 10% on top, pushing you to an incredible 87.9% damage reduction against that element!

· Building Multiple Sets: Ideally, as you progress, you'll want to build multiple armor sets with different gem protections for different bosses and dungeons (e.g., a Ruby set for Fire-based Empyrean Forge, an Amethyst set for Void-based The Ennead).

The Budget Option (Amulet Swapping): If you don't have the resources for multiple full armor sets, start by swapping your Amulet. Amulets have a gem socket and can be a great way to tweak your protection. Have different amulets with Ruby, Amethyst, etc., slotted and just swap them out depending on the boss you're facing.

Starting Out & General PVE

· For Open World & Leveling: A balanced split of 4 Onyx and 4 Opals is a great general-purpose setup. This gives you a mix of physical and elemental protection for questing, chest runs, and general exploration.

· For Mutations (The Lazy/Flexible Option): If you want to run different mutations without constantly swapping gems, you can use full Pristine Opals. Opals provide protection against all elemental types, making them a flexible, one-size-fits-all solution. The trade-off is lower overall protection compared to specialized gems, so you may need to invest more points into Constitution to stay alive.

PVP Strategy

1. PVP is unpredictable because you'll face a mix of damage types. A balanced approach is best.

2. Mix It Up: Slot a combination of elemental and physical protection. For example:

· Rubies to protect against Fire Staff and VG users.

· Onyx/Emeralds to reduce physical damage from Greatswords, Hatchets, Bows, and Muskets.

· The goal is to cover your bases so you don't have a glaring weakness that an opponent can exploit.

Part 3: The Complete Gem Reference

Here’s a breakdown of all 14 gems in New World: Aeternum and exactly when to use them.

Elemental Gems (Weapon & Armor)

In weapons, these gems convert 50% of your weapon's damage to the specified elemental type. Use this when enemies are weak to that element. In armor, these gems provide a percentage of damage absorption against that specific elemental type.

1. Ruby

· Weapon: Converts damage to Fire.

· Armor: Absorbs Fire damage.

2. Aquamarine

· Weapon: Converts damage to Ice.

· Armor: Absorbs Ice damage.

3. Amethyst

· Weapon: Converts damage to Void.

· Armor: Absorbs Void damage.

4. Topaz

· Weapon: Converts damage to Lightning.

· Armor: Absorbs Lightning damage.

5. Sapphire

· Weapon: Converts damage to Arcane.

· Armor: Absorbs Arcane damage.

6. Amber

· Weapon: Converts damage to Nature.

· Armor: Absorbs Nature damage.

Physical Protection Gems (Best in Armor)

These gems are for reducing physical damage. They are essential for tanking or going up against bosses that rely on melee attacks.

· Onyx: Reduces physical damage (all types). Great all-rounder for PVE tanking and against physical DPS in PVP. (Not effective in weapons).

· Moonstone: Reduces slash damage (swords, axes). Ideal for bosses that cleave or use blade attacks. (Niche weapon uses).

· Jasper: Reduces strike damage (hammers, blunt weapons). Perfect for enemies that smash you into the ground. (Not effective in weapons).

· Emerald: Reduces thrust damage (bows, spears, muskets). A must-have for PVP against ranged physical players.

Specialized & Utility Gems

· Carnelian: The Tank's Best Friend

· Weapon: This is the go-to gem for any tank. Slotting a Carnelian in your weapon applies a taunt to your abilities, generating increased threat and making it much easier to hold the attention of mobs and bosses. The higher the gem tier, the more threat you generate. Absolutely essential for group PVE content.

· Diamond: The Healer's & DPS's Choice

· Weapon: Diamond provides a bonus to damage and healing output when you are at full health. This makes it fantastic for DPS builds that can stay topped off and absolutely top-tier for healers, as it boosts both their damage and their healing potential.

· Opal: The Flexible Elemental Protector

· Armor: As mentioned before, Opals provide damage absorption against all elemental types. They are a fantastic, cost-effective alternative to building multiple specialized gear sets, especially when farming various mutations.

Conclusion: Putting It All Together

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to gems in New World: Aeternum. The gems you choose should always depend on the content you are running and the enemies you are facing. If you're looking to skip the grind and get your perfect gem loadout immediately, you can visit MMOEXP to buy New World Gold, making it easy to purchase those high-tier pristine gems from the Trading Post.

1. For PVE Mutations: Specialize! Slot elemental gems (Ruby, Amethyst, etc.) in your armor to counter the Mutation's damage type and aim for that 63% protection.

2. For PVP: Balance your defenses with a mix of physical (Onyx, Emerald) and elemental (Ruby) protection gems.

3. For Weapons:

· Tanks: Use Carnelian for threat.

· Healers/DPS: Use Diamond for a boost when at full health.

· Damage Dealers: Use elemental conversion gems to exploit enemy weaknesses.

· For Flexibility: Use Opals in your armor to handle multiple elemental damage types without constant gear swaps. Start by swapping Amulets for a budget-friendly way to boost specific resistances.

· Gems are there to make your build stronger and keep you alive. Take the time to adjust your setup, and you'll feel the difference. Now get out there and crush it in Aeternum