Materials aren't exactly new to the Legend of Zelda universe. They were used in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks to upgrade Linebeck's ship and the Spirit Train respectively. In Breath of the Wild, materials such as Gems are needed to upgrade armor and accessories. There are additional uses for Gems too, whether players choose to sell/trade them, etc.
Breath of the Wild has six different types of Gems with some less common than others. With a few exceptions, Gems can't be bought from merchants. This means Link will need to go around mining ore deposits, looting chests, and defeating powerful enemies. It can be a time-consuming process, but the payoff of a complete armor set and powerful gear is worth the trouble.
Where to Use Gems
If BotW players have a few extra Gems, they can sell them to merchants for a good price. Diamonds, the rarest, will sell for 500 rupees while a hunk of Amber will net 30 rupees. There's a Gerudo Merchant (Ramella) in Goron City who will hand over a great sum of rupees in exchange for whichever Gem she wants. However, Link won't be able to trade with her until after Fireblight Ganon (aboard Vah Rudania) has been defeated.
Those looking to upgrade their armor will want to take them to one of the Fairy Fountains around Hyrule. Once all four Fairy Fountains have been unlocked (and paid for in rupees), Link can upgrade gear to their max capacity (level 4). For example, the Zora Helm's final upgrade will add +8 Defense at the cost of 10 Lizalfos Tails and 15 Opals.
Here's all six Gems in Breath of the Wild as well as their sales price:
|
Sell Price |
Needed for |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Amber |
30 |
Hylian Set |
|
Opal |
60 |
Zora Set |
|
Topaz |
180 |
Rubber Set, Topaz Earrings |
|
Ruby |
210 |
Flamebreaker Set, Ruby Circlet |
|
Sapphire |
260 |
Voe Set, Sapphire Circlet |
|
Diamond |
500 |
Diamond Circlet |
It's better to collect 10 of these gems and sell them to Ramella. She'll buy them from Link for more rupees than a regular merchant.
Mine Rare Ore Deposits
The obvious and most resourceful way to farm Gems is to mine them from Ore Deposits. In BotW, there are two different deposits: regular and rare. The regular ones are darker while the rare deposits have gold in them. Amber and sometimes Opal can be farmed from regular deposits, but if players are looking to get gems such as rubies and sapphires, they'll have better luck looking for the rare deposits.
While deposits can be found just about anywhere in Hyrule, there are about two rare ore deposits in the Southern Mine. This is located directly south of Goron City in Eldin Province. Players can fast-travel to Goron City if they've completed the trial of the Shae Mo'sah Shrine, which is slightly north of Goron City.
Bring a good mining weapon when farming gems from deposits, such as an Iron Sledgehammer... Or the Master Sword. It may be the blade of evil's bane, but its inability to break (with a cooldown of 10 minutes) makes it ideal for cracking open deposits.
Give Luminous Stones to Ledo
After clearing Vah Ruta, Link can speak to a Zora named Ledo in Zora's Domain. He's located north of the Ne'ez Yohma Shrine by the right post of the bridge. Speaking to him for the first time initiates the sidequest "Luminous Stone Gathering." As the name indicates, Link will want to gather Luminous Stones and deliver them to Ledo. He'll want exactly 10 Luminous Stones, and will give 1 Diamond in return.
Luminous Stones have their own deposit and are easier to spot at night thanks to their blue-green glow. There are plenty of them on the cliffs surrounding Zora's Domain. Another good place to mine them is along the shoreline below Tarrey Town by Lake Akkala. Once Link has 10, he can warp back to the Ne'ez Yohma Shrine and speak to Ledo.
Defeat Stone Taluses and Pebblits
Stone Taluses can be a threat to any beginner BotW player. In fact, they can find a Stone Talus as early as the Great Plateau. There are five types of Stone Taluses: Regular, Rare, Frost, Igneo, and Luminous. As BotW players have probably guessed by now, the type of Stone Talus determines the type of ore it will drop upon defeat. While they're not as common as bokoblins or moblins, Stone Taluses can be found all over Hyrule - even in Hyrule Castle.
Each Stone Talus will have an Ore Deposit somewhere on its body. Hitting the deposit will deal heavy damage to the Talus. The best way to do this is to get the Stone Talus to fall (using bombs). When it's stunned, climb onto its back and aim for the deposit. Alternatively, players can fire Explosive Arrows at the Taluses' deposit and destroy it that way. Once it's defeated, it'll drop various ores to gather.
If Link is facing off against a Frost or Igneo Talus, he'll need to use a Fire or Ice Arrow respectively to melt/cool down its body before climbing. Trying to climb the Igneo/Frost Talus will only hurt Link instead of helping him.
Smaller versions of Taluses exist called Pebblits. These little guys are less intimidating than their Talus-counterparts, but they can still be a problem if there are too many. Normally, if there's a Pebblit, a Talus is nearby. However, they can be defeated with one remote bomb. The downside to this is if they're blown up, the ore they drop can go flying. So it's recommended to use a sledgehammer when fighting them. Because of their size, Pebblits will only drop one Gem rather than a bundle.
Defeat Silver and Gold Monsters
Silver Monsters are stronger versions of regular monsters, such as moblins and lizalfos. As their name indicates, they're white/silver in color, and they'll usually carry stronger weapons. Since these are considered elite monsters, they hit harder and have double the amount of HP. If BotW players are on Master Mode, there are Gold Monsters, which are an upgraded version of the Silver Monsters.
Sometimes, a Silver Monster will be guarding a camp with a treasure chest. Defeat all the enemies and the chest can be opened. There might be a rare gem inside.
When Link defeats a Silver Monster, they'll drop a rare Gem (ex: Sapphire) along with their weapon or arrows (if they have them). If players really want a challenge, they can look for Silver Lynels, which have a 30% chance of dropping a Topaz, Ruby, or Sapphire. There's a Silver Lynel in the Coliseum Ruins north of the Great Plateau. BotW players will want to be prepared when battling Silver/Gold Monsters - especially Lynels. They're essentially mini-bosses with some of the best weapons in-game.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available for Nintendo Switch.