TotK Gem Farming: Diamonds, Rubies, Sapphires and Topaz

Gems in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom come from just two places: ore deposits, and the Talus family of monsters. This page lists the drop rates of every source from the game’s drop tables, gives a rare ore deposit route and a list of every Rare Stone Talus, and ends with prices and armor upgrade totals. If you only want money, see rupee farming.

Which sources drop the most gems?

Source	Rolls	Diamond	Ruby / Sapphire / Topaz	Everything else
Stone Talus (Rare)	Up to 2, then 6–10	50%, then 1%	15% / 15% / 20%, then 5% each	Later rolls are mostly Amber and Opal
Rare Ore Deposit	2–5	3 (table value)	10 / 10 / 20 (table values)	Amber 30, Flint 10 (table values)
Ore Deposit	Up to 2	0.3%	1% each	Amber 35%, Rock Salt 32%, Flint 21.7%, Opal 8%
Igneo Talus	Up to 2, then 8–10	Later rolls only, 1%	Ruby 80%, then 5%	Later rolls Opal 55%
Frost Talus	Up to 2, then 8–10	Later rolls only, 1%	Sapphire 70%, then 5%	Later rolls Opal 74%
Stone Talus, Battle Talus	Up to 2, then 5–8	—	Ruby 50%	Later rolls Amber 70%
Stone Talus (Luminous)	Up to 2, then 6–10	Later rolls only, 0.5%	Later rolls Topaz 3%	Luminous Stone first
Igneo / Frost Pebblit	1	—	Ruby / Sapphire 10%	Amber 60%

Rates are from the game’s drop tables; each percentage is the chance per roll. The rare ore deposit is the exception: its six entries add up to 83, not 100, and how the game handles the difference is not known, so its row gives the table’s own numbers. Next to a normal ore deposit that is Diamond 3 against 0.3, about ten times, and Topaz 20 against 1. Unlike Breath of the Wild, Silver monsters drop no gems here: the Silver Bokoblin, Silver Moblin, Silver Lizalfos and Silver Lynel tables have none.

Two things stand out. For Diamonds, hit Rare Stone Taluses and rare ore deposits. For Rubies or Sapphires, the first rolls of the Igneo Talus and Frost Talus beat everything else.

What does a rare ore deposit look like, and where are most of them?

The Compendium says a rare ore deposit “contains a good deal of precious ore and the occasional rare mineral, like ruby and sapphire.” It is darker than a normal deposit and twinkles gold. Hammers break it fastest: weapons with the rock-breaking property, such as a rock fused to any weapon, the Cobble Crusher, or a weapon carrying a monster part like a Moblin horn. The game’s own tip adds that two-handed weapons are especially effective, and bombs work too.

By the game’s placement data there are about 190 rare ore deposits on the surface and sky islands, and 82 of them, over 40%, are in the Eldin Canyon area around Death Mountain. Fourteen are closest to Marakuguc Shrine above Goron City alone. The route:

1. Warp to Marakuguc Shrine, on the clifftop above Goron City.
2. Bring Flame Guard. Death Mountain is volcanic; wear the Flamebreaker set or drink a Fireproof Elixir. See temperature and weather.
3. Point the Sensor + at rare ore deposits. Photograph one for the Hyrule Compendium, pick it in the Compendium and choose “Set Sensor”; the sensor then pings nearby rare deposits. How to unlock the Sensor +: Purah Pad upgrades.
4. Mine your way around Goron City, then sell in town. Ramella is in Goron City (below).

How do you farm gems from Taluses?

The ore on a Talus’s back is its weak point. Climb up and hit it; every hit sprays gems or ore. Fight details are on the Stone Talus page.

The Stone Talus (Rare) has 1,080 HP and drops the most gems: up to two rolls at 50% Diamond, then 6–10 more ore rolls that can also be gems, plus a guaranteed heart for fusing. Defeated monsters return on a Blood Moon, so every Blood Moon is another lap. All 14:

Layer	Location	Nearest warp point	Distance	Map
Surface	Guchini Plain Barrows	Joku-usin Shrine	About 70 m	Show on map
Surface	Taafei Hill Cave (inside)	Suariwak Shrine	About 80 m	Show on map
Surface	Drenan Highlands	Kikakin Shrine	About 220 m	Show on map
Surface	North Akkala Beach	Rasiwak Shrine	About 270 m	Show on map
Surface	Spectacle Rock	Gerudo Canyon Skyview Tower	About 300 m	Show on map
Surface	Tanagar Canyon	Ganos Shrine	About 320 m	Show on map
Surface	Lake Floria	Joju-u-u Shrine	About 320 m	Show on map
Surface	Horse God Bridge	Utsushok Shrine	About 380 m	Show on map
Depths	Below Strock Lake	Koro-nui Lightroot	About 270 m	Show on map
Depths	Below Sahasra Slope	Arusakam Lightroot	About 300 m	Show on map
Depths	Below Orsedd Bridge	Zi-ner Lightroot	About 320 m	Show on map
Depths	Below Sherfin’s Secret Hot Spring	Kato Lightroot	About 330 m	Show on map
Depths	Below Upland Lindor	Tikanur Lightroot	About 340 m	Show on map
Depths	Below Hebra West Summit	Nupisoyuat Lightroot	About 430 m	Show on map

Positions and distances come from the game’s placement data; distance is a straight line on the map. Most of the Depths has no place names, so a Depths row gives the surface place directly above. In the Depths you warp to Lightroots you have touched; see Lightroots.

The first two are under 100 m from a warp point, so you can warp straight to the next one. For Rubies or Sapphires only, hunt Igneo and Frost Taluses instead; they are on the Stone Talus page too.

How much are gems worth, and who should you sell to?

Gem	Shop price	Ramella, ten at a time
Diamond	500	5,500
Sapphire	150	1,700
Ruby	110	1,300
Topaz	80	1,000
Opal	30	—
Luminous Stone	20	—
Amber	10	Side quest Amber Dealer only, once: 200 for ten

Prices are game data. Ramella, the gem trader in Goron City, takes ten at a time and only the gem she names, and the gem she wants changes. Save Diamonds for her: ten earn 500 more than a shop.

How many gems do armor upgrades need?

Gem	To upgrade everything to ★★★★	Armor that uses it
Diamond	27	Miner Set, Diamond Circlet
Ruby	121	Snowquill Set, Vah Rudania Divine Helm, Ruby Circlet, Hero Set
Sapphire	121	Desert Voe Set, Vah Medoh Divine Helm, Sapphire Circlet, Hero of the Sky Set
Topaz	121	Rubber Set, Vah Naboris Divine Helm, Topaz Earrings, Hero of Twilight Set
Opal	376	Zora Set, Froggy Set, Hero of Winds Set, Vah Ruta Divine Helm, Opal Earrings
Amber	665	Hylian Set, Soldier Set, Amber Earrings, Hero of Time Set

Diamonds stop at 27; every other gem is needed in bulk, so check your upgrade plans before selling. Per-piece amounts are on the material pages for Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire and Topaz, and on armor upgrade materials. Upgrades themselves are done at the Great Fairies.

See also

Tears of the Kingdom has fewer gem sources than the first game; for that one see BotW gem farming. For the zonaite deposits in the Depths, see zonaite farming.