This guide to jewelry crafting covers:
Seams rich with jewelers' dust are found in rocky areas just like blacksmithing nodes (rocky outcroppings, along cliffs, and other stony locations) throughout Tamriel although those in Summerset are more likely to contain Titanium (Protective trait material) alongside the jewelers' dusts. Half the material nodes scale based upon your skill points in the Engraver skill and half based upon your character level. Typically, three or four raw dust can be gathered per harvest and occasionally you will also find Ochre which is used in furniture crafting; the yield can occasionally be doubled (10% chance) with 10 Champion Points in The Lover constellation for the benefit of the "Plentiful Harvest" passive.
Also, occasionally blacksmithing nodes will drop a single unit of jewelers' dust.
These dusts must then be refined at a jeweler's table before being used to create an item. In this process, ten dusts typically yields between 7 and 10 ounces and may also grant common trait gems (Cobalt, Zinc, or Antimony) or grains (Terne, Iridium, Zircon, Chromium) which are refined into bars for jewelry improvement (the chance of this happening can be increased with Jewelry Extraction, one of the recommended skills).
Harvestable Jewelers' Seam |
Material for Level Range |
Unrefined Dust Refined Ounces |
---|---|---|
Pewter Levels 1 through 25 |
Pewter Dust Pewter Ounces |
|
Copper Levels 26 through 50 |
Copper Dust Copper Ounces |
|
Silver CP 10 - CP 60 |
Silver Dust Silver Ounces |
|
Electrum CP 70 - CP 140 |
Electrum Dust Electrum Ounces |
|
Platinum CP 150 - CP 160 |
Platinum Dust Platinum Ounces |
Every item you create will initially be white (standard) quality. You can upgrade an item's quality at any suitable crafting table. In the crafting interface, choose the "Improvement" tab then select the item to upgrade. Items with a greater quality have slightly better resource values in traits.
Upgrading the quality of jewelry items requires Plating. Refining materials or deconstructing items may yield improvement material grains; 10 Grains of an improvement material can be refined into 1 Plating of that improvement material. Also, daily writs may occasionally reward a Chromium Grain (greater chance the higher tier of writ).
Using more plating gives a greater percentage chance of success. There is also a skill (Platings Expertise) which reduces the number of improvement materials needed to succeed with each upgrade. If you choose to attempt an upgrade but fail due to using too few bars then the item will be destroyed and you will lose the bars with which you attempted the upgrade!
Images for Plating | Material Used for Improvement |
Quantity for 100% Success with Platings Expertise Rank |
Upgraded Item Quality | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
-- | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||
- | Standard Item (as crafted) |
- | - | - | - | Standard |
Terne | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Fine | |
Iridium | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | Superior | |
Zircon | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | Epic | |
Chromium | 10 | 7 | 5 | 4 | Legendary |
Jewelry Extraction improves the chances of extracting style/trait gems and bars when refining materials or deconstructing items. This benefit may be worthwhile for anyone that deconstructs items even if you are not planning to craft (although if you're learning crafting on another character, you'll want these points there instead and to transfer break-downs to them).
One rank in Keen Eye (available at skill level 2) is useful at least on your often-played characters to quickly learn the appearance of dust seams and to easily gather materials more reliably while playing.
Always invest as rapidly in possible in the Lapidary skills that reduce research time. Further invest in your Engraver skill as you level, keeping your material tier useful to your most advanced character's level. 15 skill points are recommended to effectively train your jeweler, but only 9 (in bold below) are necessary until creating end-game gear.
Skill Level | Skill Name | Benefit |
---|---|---|
2 | Keen Eye 1 | seams within 20 meters will sparkle making them easier to spot |
4 | Jewelry Extraction 1 | improves the chances of extracting style & trait gems or improvement grains |
8 | Lapidary Research* 1 | reduces research times by 5% |
9 | Keen Eye 2 | seams within 30 meters will sparkle making them easier to spot |
10 | Platings Expertise 1 | increases the chances of successfully improving jewelry items |
14 | Engraver 2 | allows the use of Copper (levels 26-50) |
18 | Lapidary Research* 2 | reduces research times by 10% |
22 | Jewelry Extraction 2 | greatly improves the chances of extracting style & trait gems or improvement grains |
25 | Platings Expertise 2 | greatly increases the chances of successfully improving jewelry items |
27 | Engraver 3 | allows the use of Silver (CP 10 - CP 60) |
28 | Lapidary Research* 3 | reduces research times by 20% |
30 | Keen Eye 3 | seams within 40 meters will sparkle making them easier to spot |
32 | Jewelry Extraction 3 | maximizes the chances of extracting style & trait gems or improvement grains |
40 | Platings Expertise 3 | more than doubles the chances of successfully improving jewelry items |
40 | Engraver 4 | allows the use of Electrum (CP 70 - CP 140) |
45 | Lapidary Research* 4 | reduces research times by 25% and caps research timers to 30 days max |
50 | Engraver 5 | allows the use of Platinum (CP 150 - CP 160) |
* Note that only one trait on one item can be researched at a given time regardless of investment in this passive skill. Unlike similar skills in other crafts you cannot research a trait for a ring at the same time as researching a trait for a necklace.
To level jewelry crafting as quickly as possible:
Material and Item Type |
Crafting Level When Deconstruction Starts to Yield Full Inspiration |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
White | Green | Blue | Purple | |
Pewter, crafted | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Pewter, drops | 3? | 5? | 5? | 5? |
Copper, crafted | 7 | 9 | 10 | 12 |
Copper, drops | 10? | 11? | 13? | 14? |
Silver, crafted | 12 | 13 | 14 | 17 |
Silver, drops | 15? | 17? | 20? | 21? |
Electrum, crafted | 18 | 21 | 22 | 25 |
Electrum, drops | 23? | 27? | 28? | 30? |
Platinum, crafted | 20 | 22 | 25 | 27 |
Platinum, drops | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 |
Deconstruction gives far more inspiration than creation and generates materials. Deconstruction inspiration from an item that you yourself made however only yields about 10% of what other items would. Inspiration received from deconstruction is increased with higher item level, with better item quality, and with "Intricate" items.
Testing at Summerset launch suggests that item drops usually grant approximately 33% more inspiration than items crafted by another character. The release notes stated one's own crafted items would have reduced inspiration (as has always been the case) but did not mention items crafted by another character which in past testing had given the same inspiration as dropped items. This may have changed long ago or may be a bug, I'm unsure so am just describing it here.
If you're saving items from questing to deconstruct them, you will need a plan for when your inventory fills. Firstly, destroy any white items with a value of 0 gold as they provide little inspiration anyhow. Then, if you have an alternate account you can manage inventory while questing through the mail system. Mail attachments to your alternate account and later use the "return to sender" option. Then retrieve the item from the mail system when at a crafting area.
If you choose to purchase items to level your craft, prices are not the only variable that affect which items are the right items to purchase for deconstruction; your crafting level matters due to the Inspiration Cap. The cap increases with inspiration boost, so 10% inspiration boost from ESO+, or 20% with regards to CP in The Tower, will raise the numbers shown below by the same percentage, making the same items useful regardless of what amount of inspiration boost you do or do not have.
Note that you will never receive the full calculated inspiration from Intricate items of the highest levels, just decide when it makes sense to purchase these items based on your budget and progress. The following table can help ensure you don't overpay for items due to the Deconstruction Inspiration Cap.
Another common method for leveling crafting is with a crafting buddy or alt:
However the amount of materials involved may make sticking to deconstruction of accumulated loot preferable.
Daily writs provide a boost to inspiration upon delivery, always provide either an ornate or intricate item, and occasionally provide survey maps to help replenish your supplies. Jewelry writs can also provide improvement materials and certain trait materials (those for Arcane, Healthy, or Robust traits) and on rare occasions a jewelry item with the Swift trait. Once you reach character level 6, certify for jewelry writs through Felarian near the Plaza of the Hand in Summerset's city of Alinor.
Master Jewelry Writs are available and can be acquired once you are completing top tier writs. If you seek Master Jewelry Writs, it is said that your chance to gain a Master Writ increases based on your knowledge of additional jewelry traits. Since the One Tamriel update, anyone (not only Champions) can complete writs for material tiers above 6 and gather high tier seams; it is no longer necessary to keep one's passive material tier set to 6 or lower.
Rank in Jewelry Working |
Inspiration as Reward |
Material Used in the Writs |
---|---|---|
1 | 2000 | Pewter |
2 | 6000 | Copper |
3 | 10000 | Silver |
4 | 16000 | Electrum |
5 | 20000 | Platinum |
Trait Name Trait Gem |
Description of |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard | Fine | Superior | Epic | Legendary | |
Arcane Cobalt |
increases Maximum Magicka by | ||||
767 | 797 | 827 | 847 | 877 | |
Healthy Antimony |
increases Maximum Health by | ||||
844 | 866 | 910 | 932 | 965 | |
Robust Zinc |
increases Maximum Stamina by | ||||
767 | 797 | 827 | 847 | 877 | |
Triune1 Dawn-Prism2 |
increases Maximum Magicka and Maximum Stamina by | ||||
384 | 399 | 414 | 424 | 439 | |
as well as increasing Maximum Health by | |||||
422 | 438 | 455 | 466 | 482 | |
Infused3 Aurbic Amber3 |
increases the effectiveness of the item's Enchantment | ||||
24% | 33% | 42% | 51% | 60% | |
Protective4 Titanium5 |
increase Physical Resistance & Spell Resistance (Armor) by | ||||
1053 | 1091 | 1128 | 1153 | 1190 | |
Swift6 Gilding Wax6 |
increases Walk/Sprint (non-mounted movement) Speed | ||||
3% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 7% | |
Harmony7 Dibellium8 |
Damage, Healing, Shields, & Resource Restore from Synergies you activate increase restores the following amounts of Health, Magicka, and Stamina upon activating a Synergy | ||||
12% 770 | ?% 800 | ?% 830 | ?% 850 | 20% 880 | |
Bloodthirsty9 Slaughterstone9 |
boosts Weapon & Spell Damage against enemies under 90% Health, scaling linearly per 1% missing Health increases Damage against enemies who are under 25% Health by | ||||
70 210 | ? 245 | ? 280 | ? 315 | 350 |
1 To research the Triune trait, obtain jewelry from another player or from Gladiator's Rucksacks obtained by completing Conquest Board Daily Quests in Cyrodiil.
2 Dawn-Prism is purchased from War Researchers in Cyrodiil for 100,000 AP each.
3 To research the Infused trait, obtain jewelry from another player or from Psijic Portals after joining the Psijic Order. The trait material is also dropped by these same Psijic Portals.
4 To research the Protective trait, obtain jewelry from another player or by completing Summerset's main storyline (ring) and the Psijic Order storyline (necklace).
5 Titanium is most often found in Summerset's seams, but may also be found alongside jewelry materials from any seam in all of Tamriel.
6 To research the Swift trait, obtain jewelry from another player or out of the rewards for Daily Jewelry Crafting Writs. Gilding Wax is purchased from Rolis Hlaalu, Mastercraft Mediator, for 20 vouchers each.
7 To research the Harmony trait, obtain jewelry from another player or rarely these may be found in the Undaunted Reward chests.
8 Dibellium is found in reward mails from Daily Dungeon LFG system.
9 To research the Bloodthirsty trait, obtain jewelry from another player or rarely from the weekly reward boxes after completing Trials. If the reward box does not contain a jewelry item it will hold Slaughterstone.
Trait Name Trait Gem |
Description of |
Standard | Fine | Superior | Epic | Legendary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arcane Cobalt |
increases Maximum Magicka by | 760 | 790 | 820 | 840 | 870 |
Healthy Antimony |
increases Maximum Health by | 836 | 869 | 902 | 924 | 957 |
Robust Zinc |
increases Maximum Stamina by | 760 | 790 | 820 | 840 | 870 |
Triune1 Dawn-Prism2 |
increases Maximum Magicka & Maximum Stamina by and increases Maximum Health by |
380 418 |
395 434 |
410 451 |
420 462 |
435 478 |
Infused3 Aurbic Amber3 |
increases jewelry Enchantment's effectiveness by | 24% | 33% | 42% | 51% | 60% |
Protective4 Titanium5 |
Spell Resistance & Physical Resistance are increased by | 1053 | 1091 | 1128 | 1153 | 1190 |
Swift6 Gilding Wax6 |
increases (non-mounted) Movement Speed by |
2% | 3% | 4% | 5% | 6% |
Harmony7 Dibellium8 |
increases Damage, Healing, Resource Restore, and the Damage Shield from Synergies you activate by | 15% | 20% | 25% | 30% | 35% |
Bloodthirsty9 Slaughterstone9 |
increases Damage against enemies who are under 25% Health by | 6% | 7% | 8% | 9% | 10% |
1 To research the Triune trait, obtain jewelry from another player or from Gladiator's Rucksacks obtained by completing Conquest Board Daily Quests in Cyrodiil.
2 Dawn-Prism is purchased from War Researchers in Cyrodiil for 100,000 AP each.
3 To research the Infused trait, obtain jewelry from another player or from Psijic Portals after joining the Psijic Order. The trait material is also dropped by these same Psijic Portals.
4 To research the Protective trait, obtain jewelry from another player or by completing Summerset's main storyline (ring) and the Psijic Order storyline (necklace).
5 Titanium is most often found in Summerset's seams, but may also be found alongside jewelry materials from any seam in all of Tamriel.
6 To research the Swift trait, obtain jewelry from another player or out of the rewards for Daily Jewelry Crafting Writs. Gilding Wax is purchased from Rolis Hlaalu, Mastercraft Mediator, for 20 vouchers each.
7 To research the Harmony trait, obtain jewelry from another player or rarely these may be found in the Undaunted Reward chests.
8 Dibellium is found in reward mails from Daily Dungeon LFG system.
9 To research the Bloodthirsty trait, obtain jewelry from another player or rarely from the weekly reward boxes after completing Trials. If the reward box does not contain a jewelry item it will hold Slaughterstone.
Researching traits is a very long process. Times to complete research increase dramatically as you progress, so start as early as possible! The following table summarizes research times per item type without any time reductions:
Current Trait Research | Cumulative Research Time | |
---|---|---|
1st | 6 hours | 6 hours |
2nd | 12 hours | 18 hours |
3rd | 24 hours | 42 hours (~2 days) |
4th | 48 hours (2 days) | 90 hours (~4 days) |
5th | 96 hours (4 days) | 186 hours (~8 days) |
6th | 192 hours (8 days) | 378 hours (~16 days) |
7th | 384 hours (16 days) | 762 hours (~32 days) |
8th | 768 hours (32 days) | 1530 hours (~64 days) |
9th | 1536 hours (64 days) | 3066 hours (~128 days) |
The length of time to complete research can be reduced slightly (10%) by subscribing to ESO+ and significantly decreased (25% reduction during the first 8 traits and more than cuts time in half for the 9th trait) with the proper skills.
Skills that decrease research time are Lapidary for Jewelers research, Metallurgy for Blacksmithing research, Stitching for Clothing research, and Carpentry for Woodworking research. Without these skills each item would require approximately 128 days to fully research all traits; these skills reduce the time to fully research all traits on an item to approximately 78 days (71 days if combined with ESO+). Other than research for Jewelers (Laipidary) these skills also allow researching up to 3 traits (on different pieces) at the same time; without these skills you can research only one item's trait for each craft at a time.
Morrowind introduced Research Scrolls from the Crown Store or the Master Writ Vendor, Rolis Hlaalu. These scrolls reduce the research timer on all traits in a particular craft which are currently being researched by one day (20-hour cooldown on ones purchased with master writs). The scrolls available for writ vouchers might be worth it towards the end of your research journey if they remain priced at 3 vouchers, but to pay 400 crowns to save only one day in one discipline out of a process that takes a year or more doesn't seem worth it to this author.