Fellowship Gems Guide & All Gem Effects Explained
The Gem System in Fellowship stands at the core of endgame character growth. Once you start earning and socketing Gems, every dungeon run turns into meaningful progression, each gem boosting your hero’s stats with a wide range of effects.
In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about Gems in Fellowship: how they drop, how to upgrade and combine them, and which gem colors offer the strongest powers for each playstyle.
How Gems Work in Fellowship
The Gem System in Fellowship is a deep progression mechanic that directly enhances your hero’s power, scaling alongside your rank and dungeon performance. Unlike standard stat upgrades, gems introduce a secondary layer of growth: Gem Power, which feeds into a unique tree of passive bonuses divided by color.
Once you reach Contender 7, you unlock access to gems as part of end-of-dungeon rewards. From there, every activity above that threshold, particularly high-rank dungeons, becomes a potential source of Small Gems. To actually use these gems, you’ll need equipment with sockets, which only begin appearing in Adept League and above.
Gem System Overview
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Function | Socketable upgrades that add Gem Power to your character. |
| Activation | Interface unlocks at Contender 7 under the Gem Power tab of your Hero menu. |
| Usage | Socket gems into gear with available slots; each gem contributes its Gem Power value to one of six color-based progression tracks. |
| Cap | You can own up to 81 gems total per character. Gems are not account-wide. |
| Scaling | Drop quality and power scale with dungeon difficulty (up to Eternal 2). |
Gem Colors and Stat Focus
| Gem Color | Primary Focus | Example Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby (Red) | Stamina, Strength, and main stats | +% Strength, periodic self-healing, boss damage |
| Amethyst (Purple) | Critical Strike chance and damage | +Crit chance vs high-HP enemies, lifesteal on kills |
| Topaz (Yellow) | Haste and combat recovery | +% Haste under 30% HP, short self-heal triggers |
| Emerald (Green) | Cooldown reduction and Expertise | Flat CDR, defensive shields |
| Sapphire (Blue) | Spirit and Heroism duration | Spirit uptime, scaling defense while low HP |
| Diamond (White) | Hybrid stat distribution | Balanced Crit, Haste, Expertise, Spirit |
Gem Tiers and Gem Power Scaling
Each gem provides a fixed amount of Gem Power based on its tier. You can combine three gems of the same tier and color to craft one of the next higher tier. Even the weakest gems remain valuable as crafting material.
| Gem Tier | Gem Power | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 120 | Base dungeon drops (starting at Contender 7) |
| Large | 240 | Combine 3× Small Gems |
| Splendid | 360 | Combine 3× Large Gems |
| Flawless | 480 | Combine 3× Splendid Gems |
When socketing, always check the equipment tooltip. Some socketed items carry a Bonus Gem Power modifier (+35% to +100%). Legendary gear always rolls with one socket and the maximum +100% Bonus Gem Power, making it the best base for high-tier builds.
Where to Get and Upgrade Gems
Unlocks at: Contender 7
Drops From: End-of-dungeon chests above Contender 7
Max Drop Rate: Eternal 2
Drop Quality: Only Small Gems drop directly — higher tiers must be crafted.
While drops are random, each dungeon type slightly favors specific gem colors, creating opportunities for targeted farming depending on what stats your hero needs.
Upgrading and Managing Gems
To upgrade or transmute gems, visit the Jeweler NPC at the Infinite Bazaar (south Dalaran). This is your main hub for gem crafting and offers three services:
| Service | Description |
|---|---|
| Upgrade Gems | Combine 3 gems of the same color and tier into 1 of higher tier. |
| Split Gems | Break 1 high-tier gem into 3 lower-tier ones. |
| Transmute Gems | Change a gem’s color using special Aether reagents. |
Aether Types and Functions
| Aether Type | Function | Control Level |
|---|---|---|
| Rough Aether | Randomly changes the gem’s color. | Low |
| Imbued Aether | Choose from three random color results. | Medium |
| Pure Aether | Select from five color options. | High |
Higher-quality Aether can be crafted from dungeon materials or purchased using Bronze at certain vendors in the Bazaar.
Gem Sockets and Gear
Gems are only effective once placed into sockets — specialized slots available on Adept-level gear and above.
- Socketed Items: Only non-set equipment can roll sockets.
- Gem Value: Each socket provides full Gem Power of the inserted gem.
- Socket Modifiers: Certain sockets grant +35% to +100% bonus Gem Power.
- Legendary Gear: Always includes one socket with a 100% bonus modifier.
This means players must often choose between Set Bonuses (powerful pre-defined item effects) or Socketable Stats (custom scaling through gems). Choosing wisely allows you to tailor your build for maximum throughput or survivability.
All Gem Powers and Effects
Each gem color in Fellowship represents a full progression path of ten unlockable effects split across two ranks — Basic and Advanced. You invest Gem Power into these color tracks via the Gem Power tab on your Hero interface.
Every rank requires more investment than the last, with Rank II nodes demanding up to 2640 Gem Power per color path.
Ruby Gem Powers – Offense and Vitality
Ruby gems enhance primary stats, stamina, and boss-focused bonuses. They improve both survivability and sustained damage.
Amethyst Gem Powers – Critical Damage and Burst
Critical hit synergy, lifesteal, and snowballing offense. Amethyst Gems turn crits into a resource, increasing both critical chance and damage, especially against full-health targets.
| Power Name | Required Gem Power | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed Fate I | 120 | +7% crit chance vs enemies above 80% HP |
| Reaper’s Reprieve I | 480 | Heal for 7% max HP over 12 s when enemies die |
| Killer Instinct I | 720 | +3% Critical Strike chance |
| Essence of the Deathdealer I | 960 | +3% critical damage and healing |
| Sealed Fate II | 1200 | +21% crit chance vs high-HP enemies |
| Reaper’s Reprieve II | 1920 | Heal 21% max HP over 12 s on kill |
| Essence of the Deathdealer II | 2640 | +9% critical damage and healing |
Recommended For: Mara, Ardeos, or burst-oriented DPS builds.
Amethyst scales explosively in both PvE and high-rank Challenge runs, rewarding strong burst rotations and sustain between fights.
Topaz Gem Powers – Speed and Recovery
Speed, self-healing, and combat momentum. Topaz Gems enhance Haste and reward aggressive play under pressure.
| Power Name | Required Gem Power | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Adrenaline Rush I | 120 | +3% Haste when damaging/healing targets under 30% HP |
| Rogue’s Resurgence I | 480 | Heal 8% max HP below 50% HP (20 s CD) |
| Feline’s Grace I | 720 | +3% Haste |
| Essence of the Virtuoso I | 960 | Retain +3% Haste after Spirit of Heroism ends |
| Adrenaline Rush II | 1200 | +9% Haste under 30% HP |
| Rogue’s Resurgence II | 1920 | Heal 24% max HP below 50% HP (20 s CD) |
| Essence of the Virtuoso II | 2640 | +9% Haste persistently post-Heroism |
Recommended For: Healers and speed-based ranged DPS. Synergizes perfectly with Sapphire builds focused on Heroism uptime.
Emerald Gem Powers – Cooldown and Defense
Ability uptime, shielding, and expertise scaling. Emerald Gems emphasize consistent mitigation and cooldown control — a core for defensive or hybrid builds.
| Power Name | Required Gem Power | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| First Strike I | 120 | +5% Expertise for 15 s on first hit vs target |
| Sentinel’s Bastion I | 480 | Gain a shield for 10% max HP every 60 s |
| Tactician’s Acumen I | 720 | +3% Expertise |
| Blessing of the Commander I | 960 | −4% ability cooldowns |
| Sentinel’s Bastion II | 1920 | Shield absorbs 30% max HP every 60 s |
| Blessing of the Commander II | 2640 | −12% ability cooldowns |
Recommended For: Tanks and support heroes who rely on short-cooldown rotations. Ensures stability and survivability in Eternal Mode.
Sapphire Gem Powers – Spirit and Heroism
Sapphire Gems enhance Spirit-based abilities, extend Heroism duration, and reduce damage taken at low HP.
| Power Name | Required Gem Power | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Ancestral Surge I | 120 | +8% primary stat during Spirit of Heroism |
| Resonating Soul I | 480 | −1% damage taken per 10% HP missing |
| Blessing of the Prophet I | 960 | +6 s Spirit of Heroism duration |
| Ancestral Surge II | 1200 | +24% primary stat during Heroism |
| Resonating Soul II | 1920 | −3% damage taken per 10% HP missing |
| Blessing of the Prophet II | 2640 | +18 s Spirit of Heroism duration |
Recommended For: Healers and Spirit-heavy supports like Sylvie. Combining Resonating Soul II and Blessing of the Prophet II drastically reduces incoming damage in extended fights.
Diamond Gem Powers – Hybrid Utility and Relic Control
Diamond Gems provide balanced stat growth and relic cooldown synergy — ideal for hybrids and utility-focused builds.
| Power Name | Required Gem Power | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Harmonious Soul I | 120 | +0.5% Crit, Haste, Expertise, and Spirit |
| Tranquil Resolve I | 480 | −8% magic damage taken for 6 s after being hit (20 s CD) |
| Blessing of the Artisan I | 960 | −8% Relic cooldowns |
| Harmonious Soul II | 1200 | +1.5% Crit, Haste, Expertise, Spirit |
| Tranquil Resolve II | 1920 | −24% magic damage taken for 6 s (20 s CD) |
| Blessing of the Artisan II | 2640 | −24% Relic cooldowns |
Recommended For: Universal and hybrid builds balancing damage, defense, and efficiency. Acts as “stat glue” once main colors are maxed.
Gem Power Overcapping
After reaching 2640 Gem Power in any color, you can continue to invest points to “overcap” the track. Every point beyond 3360 Gem Power grants:
+0.01% Primary Stat and +0.01% Stamina per point
This allows endless incremental growth, especially for high-end players farming Eternal 2+ content. Overcapping is a soft cap mechanic that rewards consistent grinding without hard-limiting progression.
Final Thoughts
The Fellowship Gem System turns endgame customization into an open-ended progression path. If you want to strengthen your hero beyond gems, our Fellowship Item Level Boosts help you reach top performance faster — farm and upgrade your gear and jump straight into high-level content.
- Gear Item Level Boost up to 330 ilvl
- Guaranteed results and efficient progression
Stay competitive this season with a fully optimized hero ready for the toughest Challenge and Eternal modes.
FAQ
How do you get gems in Fellowship?
Gems start dropping once you reach Contender 7 difficulty. Small gems can be obtained from end-of-dungeon chests and reward caches. The drop chance scales with dungeon tier, reaching its peak at Eternal 2. You can also craft or transmute gems at the Jeweler in the Infinite Bazaar.
How do gems work in Fellowship?
Each gem grants Gem Power, which fuels one of six color-based progression tracks. Socketed gems add their Gem Power value to your hero’s Gem Power pool, unlocking passive effects like crit bonuses, cooldown reduction, or extra healing. The stronger the gem, the more Gem Power it contributes.
Can you combine or upgrade gems?
Yes. You can combine three gems of the same color and tier to create a higher-tier gem. For example, 3 × Small = 1 Large. This process is done at the Jeweler NPC, who also lets you split or recolor gems using Aether materials.
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