Gems

Gems are a product (or by-product) of Mining. There are six known types -- diamond, emerald, quartz, ruby, sapphire, and topaz -- with quartz being by far the most common. An individual Mine produces one type of gem, but the gems can be of any size. The gem rate (how often a mine produces a gem) is mine dependent. Meaning if you tear down a mine and rebuild it, the gem rate might change from 1 gem every 1000 pulls to 1 gem every 10 pulls. Note that this will cost extra materials if the mine isn't a sand mine (if the mine is copper, iron, etc.) 1 gem every 10 pulls is considered a "good" rate.

Gems are distributed in 40x40 coordinate "blobs", with blob boundaries being divisible by 40. So the square formed by (0,0) and (40, 40) forms one blob. (39, 39) would be in this blob, but (41, 39) would be in another. All mines dropped within a blob will yield the same gem type, with quantity varying by mine as explained above. All blobs will yield at least quartz. It is theorized that rarer gem types tend to cluster, so if one blob is producing ruby, check the neighboring blobs to look for topaz or emerald, for instance. The exact pattern of gem types isn't known, but it is theorized that some travel in "veins" like iron and copper, while others cluster in "mega blobs".

The quantity of the different sizes of gems you get seems to follow a 7 base, just like many other activities in the game. So after mining 100 huge quartz, you would expect to have 700 large quartz, 4900 medium quartz, and 34300 small quartz.

Sizes

• Small (common)
• Medium
• Large
• Huge (Rare)

Types

• Quartz (common)
• Ruby
• Topaz
• Emerald
• Sapphire
• Diamond (rare)

Uses

Quartz

• Small
  • Research: 100 for Basic Chemistry
  • Research: 700 for Pyramid Construction at the University of Thought
  • 40 used to build a Fleet Furnace
• Medium
  • 7 used to build a Solid Land Tower for the Test of Towers
• Large
  • Research: 70 for Pyramid Construction at the University of Art and Music
  • Tuition: 7 for Ore Extraction4 at School of Architecture
• Huge
  • Tuition: 1 for Desiccation at the School of Thought
  • Tuition: 1 for Ore Extraction5 at School of Architecture

Ruby

• Small
  • 2 used to build a beetle statue
  • Research: 700 for Pyramid Construction at the University of Leadership
• Medium
  • 7 used to build a Hand of Man Tower for the Test of Towers
  • Tuition: 1 for Structure Repair at the University of Worship
  • Tuition: 7 for Camp Decoration at the School of Art & Music
• Large
  • Research: 70 for Pyramid Construction at the University of Body
• Huge
  • Tuition: 1 for Desiccation at the School of Worship

Topaz

• Small
  • Research: 700 for Pyramid Construction at the University of Harmony
  • 10 used to build a Reactory
  • Tuition: 1 for Mechanics at a School of Worship
• Medium
  • 7 used to build a Rich Soil Tower for the Test of Towers
• Large
  • Research: 70 for Pyramid Construction at the University of Harmony
  • Tuition: 1 for Structure Repair at the University of Worship
• Huge
  • Tuition: 1 for Desiccation at the School of Art and Music

Emerald

• Small
  • Research: 700 for Pyramid Construction at the University of Body
• Medium
  • 7 used to build a Living Land Tower for the Test of Towers
  • Tuition: 7 for Camp Decoration (First Degree) at a School of Art & Music
• Large
  • Tuition: 1 for Camp Decoration (Second Degree) at a School of Art & Music
  • Tuition: 1 for Camp Decoration (Third Degree) at a School of Art & Music
  • Tuition: 1 for Mechanics at a School of Worship
  • Research: 70 for Pyramid Construction at the University of Thought
• Huge
  • Tuition: 1 for Structure Repair at the University of Worship

Sapphire

• Small
  • Used to build a Cut Stone Obelisk for the Test of the Obelisk
  • Research: 700 for Pyramid Construction at the University of Art and Music
  • Tuition: 1 for Structure Repair at the University of Worship
• Medium
  • Tuition: 7 for Camp Decoration (First Degree) at a School of Art & Music
• Large
  • Research: 70 for Pyramid Construction at the University of Leadership
• Huge
  • Tuition: 1 for Mechanics at a School of Worship

Diamond

• Small
  • Research : 100 for Basic Chemistry
  • Research: 700 for Pyramid Construction at the University of Architecture
  • 1 Needed for the Ritual of Initiation in the Principles of Worship
  • 40 used to build a Fleet Furnace
• Medium
  • Tuition: 7 for Camp Decoration (First Degree) at a School of Art & Music
  • 2 Needed for Test of Marriage
  • Tuition: 1 for Mechanics at a School of Worship
• Large
  • Research: 70 for Pyramid Construction at the University of Worship
• Huge