How to get Level 21 Gems - Path of Exile

For most gems, the max level is 20. There are, however, ways to increase the level of a gem beyond 20.

1. Vaal Orb corruption

Like most items, gems can be corrupted using a  Vaal Orb. Corruption on gems can potentially lift the level or quality percentage of a gem above the maximum of 20. Corruption can also convert a gem into its Vaal skill equivalent, if one exists.

The chances are the following:

• No effect (other than adding the corrupted property).
• Add or subtract one level. Max level gems can exceed their normal maximum this way. A corrupted gem at the normal maximum will not continue to gain experience.
• Add or subtract 1-20 quality. Gems can have up to 23% quality this way.
• Change the gem to its corresponding Vaal Gem.

In order to make the best profit, craft a level 20 of 20% quality gem is the best choice.

In theory, the chance of a level 21 gem is 12.5% assuming no weighting. 25% for each possibility: nothing, Vaal, quality, level. And then, it’s 50% for going up or down (when having rolled quality or level). But it’s still heavy RNG.

Buy PoE Currency Cheap

• Divine Orbs for Sale (6% off coupon: vhpg). Best site to buy PoE currency.
• Buy PoE Currency Instant Delivery (6% off coupon: poeitems). Path of Exile item and currency. Payment: PayPal, Skrill, Cryptocurrencies.

2. Beastcrafting recipe

Beastcrafting is a method of crafting by sacrificing beasts to the blood altar in the Menagerie. Each beastcrafing recipe requires four beasts to be sacrificed, with most of them requiring one specific Red Beast and three Rare Beasts. The four chosen beasts are released into the arena surrounding the blood altar and must be killed to complete the recipe. If the player dies during the attempt, the recipe fails and the beasts are lost.

The table below displays the resulting crafts when sacrificing to the blood altar.

3. Gem divination cards

Item	Stack Size	Effect(s)	Drop Areas	Additional Drop Restrictions
Deathly Designs	7	Level 21 Trap Gem Quality: +23% Corrupted	N/A	N/A
Desecrated Virtue	9	Level 6 Awakened Support Gem Quality: +23% Corrupted	N/A	N/A
Dialla’s Subjugation	7	Superior Support Gem Quality: +23% Corrupted	Ivory Temple Map •  The Twilight Temple • Temple Map	N/A
Dying Anguish	8	Level 19 Gem Alternative Quality: +19%	N/A	N/A
Gemcutter’s Promise	3	Superior Gem Quality: +20%	The Ebony Barracks • The Lunaris Concourse • Colonnade Map • Promenade Map	N/A
Gift of the Gemling Queen	9	Level 20 Support Gem	The Tunnel • The Quarry • Crystal Ore Map • Dig Map • Excavation Map • Flooded Mine Map • Geode Map	N/A
Grave Knowledge	6	Summon Raging Spirit Quality: +20%	The Ossuary (Act 10) • Bone Crypt Map •  Olmec’s Sanctum • Cursed Crypt Map	N/A
The Artist	11	Level 4 Enhance Corrupted	N/A	N/A
The Bitter Blossom	3	Level 21 Chaos Gem Quality: +23% Corrupted	N/A	N/A
The Bones	6	Level 21  Vaal Summon Skeletons Corrupted	N/A	N/A
The Cataclysm	13	Level 21 Spell Gem Corrupted	Strange Sinkhole • Concealed Cavity • Sunken Shingle • Clouded Ridge • Forgotten Oubliette • Remote Gulch • Cremated Archives • Narrow Ravine • Mystical Clearing • Covered-up Hollow • Hidden Patch • Entombed Alcove • Secret Laboratory • Secluded Copse • Forbidden Chamber • Quarantined Quarters • Inner Grounds • Sealed Corridors • Restricted Gallery • Disused Furnace • Blind Alley • Entombed Chamber • Sacred Chambers • Stagnant Canal • Walled-off Ducts • Neglected Cellar • Arcane Chambers • Forgotten Conduit • Ancient Catacomb • Haunted Mineshaft • Abandoned Dam • Desolate Track • Reclaimed Barracks • Sealed Basement • Secluded Canal • Forbidden Archives • Cremated Archives • Twisted Inquisitorium • Deathly Chambers • Restricted Collection • Side Chapel • Radiant Pools • Clouded Ledge • Flooded Complex • Forbidden Shrine • Sealed Repository • Evacuated Quarter • Concealed Caldarium • Moonlit Chambers • Shifting Sands • Forgotten Gulch • Desolate Isle • Dusty Bluff	N/A
The Cheater	3	Level 6 Awakened Support Gem Quality: +20% Corrupted	N/A	Can drop from Perandus Safes.
The Doppelganger	2	Superior  Mirror Arrow Quality: +20%	The Crossroads (Act 7) •  Whakawairua Tuahu	N/A
The Dragon’s Heart	11	Level 4 Empower Corrupted	Pit of the Chimera Map •  The Putrid Cloister	N/A
The Enlightened	6	Level 3 Enlighten	Ashen Wood Map	N/A
The Fox	6	Level 20 Gem	The Western Forest (Act 2) • The Riverways (Act 6) • The Vaal City • The Crossroads (Act 7) • The Fellshrine Ruins (Act 7) • Barrows Map • Castle Ruins Map • Sunken City Map	N/A
The Realm	5	Superior Portal	N/A	Can drop from Breach monsters.
The Rite of Elements	5	Level 21 Golem Gem Corrupted	Courthouse Map • Coves Map • Flooded Mine Map • Geode Map • Grotto Map • Vault Map • Waterways Map • Wharf Map	N/A
The Skeleton	6	Level 1  Summon Skeletons Quality: +23% Corrupted	N/A	N/A
The Summoner	6	Superior Minion Gem Quality: +20%	The Fetid Pool • The Lower Prison (Act 1) • The Upper Prison • The Crypt Level 2 • The Chamber of Sins Level 1 (Act 2) • The Chamber of Sins Level 2 (Act 2) • The Crematorium • The Catacombs • Shavronne’s Tower • Bone Crypt Map • Cells Map • Cursed Crypt Map • Dungeon Map • Lava Chamber Map • Overgrown Ruin Map •  Acton’s Nightmare • Primordial Blocks Map	N/A
The Wilted Rose	7	Level 21 Aura Gem Corrupted	Acton’s Nightmare	N/A
Volatile Power	9	Superior Vaal Gem Quality: +20% Corrupted	The Mines Level 1 • The Mines Level 2 • The Crystal Veins • The Tunnel • The Quarry • Crystal Ore Map • Dig Map • Excavation Map • Flooded Mine Map • Geode Map	N/A
Wealth and Power	11	Level 4 Enlighten Corrupted	The Lunaris Temple Level 2 (Act 8)	Dusk, Harbinger of Lunaris

4. +x to Level of Supported Active Skill Gems

Name	Stats
Empower Support	+(0-2) to Level of Supported Active Skill Gems
Awakened Added Fire Damage Support	+(0-1) to Level of Supported Fire Skill Gems
Awakened Added Cold Damage Support	+(0-1) to Level of Supported Cold Skill Gems
Awakened Added Lightning Damage Support	+(0-1) to Level of Supported Lightning Skill Gems
Awakened Added Chaos Damage Support	+(0-1) to Level of Supported Active Skill Gems
Awakened Blasphemy Support	+0.05 to Level of Supported Curse Skill Gems
Awakened Generosity Support	+0.05 to Level of Supported Aura Skill Gems

5. Items increasing socketed gem level

Gems can be placed in items with modifiers such as the Paragon’s – +1 to Level of Socketed Gems (Prefix) prefix. For example, the level of a skill gem can get as high as level 32. One way to do this is to have a  Frostferno with two corruptions such as +2 to Level of Socketed Fire Gems and +2 to Level of Socketed Cold Gems. Then, socket a corrupted level 21  Elemental Hit gem in that Frostferno. This is now a level 29 Elemental Hit. Then, support it with a corrupted level four Empower Support, increasing the Elemental Hit’s level by 3 to bring it to level 32.