Highlights

• While gemstones often sell for high prices, keeping some of them can earn a higher income later in the game.
• Some minerals are best saved for use in important farming machinery, like the ones needed to craft artisan goods.
• Several gemstones are universally liked gifts, so keeping some on hand can help if it's someone's birthday and you don't have a gift.

Seasoned players know Stardew Valley gets easier the longer you play the game. At first, the biggest challenge for new players is the task of finding enough money. Once you stop worrying so much about your bank account, you can use plenty of time raising animals, befriending villagers, or even spending most of the day in the mines fighting monsters and collecting gems.

The gems and minerals in Stardew Valley are so appealing because searching for them in the mines is fun, and they’re collectible and valuable. Beginner players may be tempted to sell these as soon as possible to earn some money, but that’s not always the best option. After reading this list, you will (hopefully) better understand which gemstones to hold on to and why.

Updated on April 17, 2024 by Gabrielle Castania: With the launch of the Version 1.6 update for Stardew Valley last month, we're updating plenty of our older Stardew Valley content to make sure it's in line not only with our current publishing standards, but with the current version of the game.

10 Amethyst

Access The Sewing Machine

Befriending the villagers of Stardew Valley sometimes has benefits besides the obvious fun of choosing your favorite bachelor or bachelorette to romance, since they can give you access to certain recipes or items in the game. Emily lets you borrow her sewing machine, which will allow you to sew your own clothing.

Emily loves gems as gifts, but one of the easiest to access early in the game is an amethyst. If you gift amethysts to Emily, you will quickly upgrade your friendship level. Once you hit level 2 friendship with Emily, your tailoring possibilities are basically endless.

Abigail is also a fan - just don't get too creeped out if she thanks you for the snack when you give her one.

9 Fire Quartz

Craft A Slime Press

A Fire Quartz only sells for 100g, so it’s barely going to add to your bank account if you part with the ones you find in the lower levels of the Mines. Instead, save your fire quartz to craft at least one Slime Egg Press, if not more.

The slime egg press needs 100 Slime to create a Slime Egg, and you’ll get 100 Slime anyway if you’re already in the Mines searching for gemstones. A slime egg can hatch into a Slime, and then you can choose to farm slime. If you don’t want to farm them, at minimum, a Slime Egg will sell for a staggering 1,000g - way more than the 100g for the Fire Quartz!

8 Frozen Tear

The Geologist’s Bundle

To complete the Geologist’s Bundle in the Community Center, you need one Frozen Tear. And since each bundle in the Community Center gives you rewards when you complete it, it's worth the effort.

Other gemstones are needed to complete the Geologist’s Bundle, too, but we recommend you keep those gems for other reasons anyway.

The Geologist Bundle gives you five Omni Geodes, and once these are opened, you may get some other valuable gemstones. Restoring the Community Center is part of Stardew Valley’s main storyline, so completing it is essential (unless you side with Joja, of course).

7 Cinder Shard

Use Them At The Island Trader Or The Volcano Forge

It’s best to begin collecting Cinder Shards as soon as possible when you land on Ginger Island. Cinder Shards will be in the Volcano Dungeon, and at the top is a forge that lets you enchant and upgrade weapons. These powerful weapons will make your time deep in the mines or volcano much easier.

On Ginger Island, Cinder Shards are also used as currency. When you head over to the Island Trader, there are plenty of options in their store that are for sale using Cinder Shards, so be sure to stock up if you're interested in some of the island-themed furniture.

6 Aquamarine

Put It In The Dye Bundle

Aquamarine is a great gemstone to keep as a gift for almost any villager, since most of the townsfolk like or love it universally. Because of this, having a stockpile of them at home can help if you're ever in a pinch with gifting.

Aquamarines are also required for the Dye Bundle in the Community Center. For completing this particular bundle, you'll be given a Seed Maker, which is a critical component of ramping up the crop production on your farm, especially for rarer crops like Ancient Fruits that are otherwise tought (or impossible) to multiply otherwise.

5 Diamond

Make More In The Crystalarium

When you first find a Diamond (outside the one you've given to the Museum, of course), the high sale price of 750g makes it tempting to sell the first one. However, we recommend you hold onto your Diamonds until you can craft Crystalariums.

The Crystalarium allows you to replicate any gemstone, and you can do this infinitely with just a single gemstone. Because Diamonds sell for a good price, you end up making a lot of gold by selling stacks of Diamonds once they're finished cloning in the Crystalariums.

You can also use these as a universally liked gift, with several townsfolk loving them instead.

4 Quartz

Refine It

Quartz is admittedly very easy to find. If you go to the Mines often, you might get tired of seeing so many Quartz pieces lying about, but grab them when you see them! Quartz is a commonly appreciated gift for villagers, it can be used in tailoring, and it's even in crafting recipes.

One of the best uses for Quartz, though, is to turn it into Refined Quartz using a Furnace. The more advanced recipes, such as the Crystalarium, need refined quartz. These advanced recipes are obtained deeper into the game and will make your money earning and farming a lot easier.

3 Lemon Stone

A Great Gift For The Dwarf

Lemon Stones are one of the Dwarf's highest-rated gifts, since he loves almost all gemstones. And since most of the other villagers aren't all that fond of stones that've come from Geodes like this, they're excellent to keep on hand as gifts for the Dwarf alone.

You might not think earning friendship with the Dwarf is worth your time, but once you earn 50 friendship points with him and have bought a Stardrop from Krobus, you'll get a special cutscene when you enter the Mines next.

2 Earth Crystal

Artisan Essential

Chickens have always been among the easier animals to handle in Stardew Valley, but with the Meadowlands Farm in Version 1.6 starting players who choose this layout with a Chicken, they're even easier to raise than ever. But don't just sell the dozens of eggs they'll lay - turn them into Mayonnaise instead to raise the value.

To make Mayonnaise, though, you need a Mayonnaise Machine, which requires one Earth Crystal per machine. This means that if you want to ramp up your artisan good production, saving your Earth Crystals is critical. They don't sell for too much, anyway, so keep some on hand to grow your Mayonnaise empire.

1 Prismatic Shard

Get A Galaxy Sword

One of the rarer elements in Stardew Valley, it'll take quite a lot of work to stumble upon your first Prismatic Shard, and once you do, its uses are few - but powerful.

Thankfully, later in the game, they become a bit more plentiful, especially if you find some Mystic Stones in your Quarry or the Mines.

Having a Prismatic Shard on hand is a critical step in getting the Galaxy Sword after some careful stepping out in the Calico Desert. It's one of the best weapons in the game even before you enchant it, making Prismatic Shards a valuable find. You can also use Prismatic Shards to get rid of unwanted children, if you so desire.