Skill Gems Vendor Recipes - Path of Exile

Skill gems include active skill gems and support skill gems. First of all, you need to equip a skill gem into your item socket. Then the skill gem will grant you a certain ability. Your every skill comes from gems. Skill gems have levels and quality and it can increase the effect of the gem. There are many vendor recipes for skill gems.

PoE 20% Quality Gem Recipe

Outcome Skill Gem Recipes Notes
20% quality gem(Level: 1) The resulting gem will be of the same skill, and will have its level reset to 1. Does not work with Corrupted gems.

PoE 3.23: The vendor recipe for turning a Level 20 Gem into a 20% Quality Level 1 version of that Gem no longer works with Skill Gems, as the benefit Quality provides to damage dealing Skills is now more powerful. The vendor recipe can now only be used with non-Awakened Support Gems.

Recipe Example

Vendor List:

  • 1x Gemcutter's Prism
  • 1x Divine Ire(Level 20)

Recipe result: 1x Divine Ire(Level 1, 20% Quality).

20% Quality Gem Recipe

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PoE 20% Quality Gem Recipe

Ah, the 20% quality gem recipe! This handy little vendor trick was discovered fairly recently in Path of Exile and has been a hot topic among players ever since. Here's the lowdown:

What it does:

  • This recipe allows you to trade a level 20 gem for a level 1 gem with 20% quality.
  • Essentially, you sacrifice level for quality.
  • This can be advantageous for certain gems, particularly support gems:
    • 20% quality can often make a level 15-ish gem outperform a non-quality level 20 gem in terms of utility.
    • It also lets you benefit from the quality bonuses earlier in your leveling process.
  • For skill gems, it's generally not as worthwhile unless you're building a specific niche character or have access to very efficient leveling methods.

How to use it:

  • Simply trade a level 20 gem and one Gemcutter's Prism to any vendor.
  • You'll get back a level 1 gem with 20% quality.

Things to keep in mind:

  • **This recipe only works with non-Awakened support gems. It doesn't work with skill gems anymore.
  • You should weigh the pros and cons before using this recipe on a valuable level 20 gem.
  • Remember that leveling gems doesn't suffer experience penalties like characters, so sometimes leveling a gem normally might be just as efficient.

Skill Gem Vendor Recipe

Result Skill Gem Recipes Notes
Decrease level of skill gem by 1
  • 1x skill gem
  • 1x Orb of Scouring Orb of Scouring
Does not work with Corrupted gems, so Vaal also.
Decrease level of skill gem to 1
  • 1x skill gem
  • 1x Orb of Regret Orb of Regret
Does not work with Corrupted gems, so Vaal also.
20% quality skill gem
  • 1x level 20 skill gem
  • 1x Gemcutter’s Prism Gemcutter’s Prism
The resulting gem will be of the same skill, and will have its level reset to 1. Does not work with Corrupted gems.
1x Block Chance Reduction Support
  • 1x any dexterity shield with 20% quality
  • 1x Puncture Puncture(gem)
1x Mirror Arrow Mirror Arrow
  • 1x Blink Arrow Blink Arrow(gem)
  • 1x Orb of Alteration Orb of Alteration
1x Blink Arrow Blink Arrow
  • 1x Mirror Arrow Mirror Arrow(gem)
  • 1x Orb of Alteration Orb of Alteration
  • 1x Hypothermia Hypothermia Support
  • 1x Ice Bite Ice Bite Support
  • 1x Cold Penetration Cold Penetration Support
  • 1x Mana Leech Mana Leech Support
  • 1x Added Cold Damage Added Cold Damage Support
  • 1x Inspiration Support Inspiration Support
  • 1x Bitterdream Bitterdream
The resulting Added Cold Damage Added Cold Damage Gem is level 10, all the others are level 1.
Elemental Penetration Support
Immolate Support
Unbound Ailments Support
Ice Bite Support
Inspiration Support
Innervate Support
1x Replica Bitterdream
1x Lightning Penetration Support level 20
1x Fire Penetration Support level 20
1x Cold Penetration Support level 20
 

Other Skill Gem Vendor Recipe

Result Skill Gem Recipes Notes
Consumed support gems Resulting gems are at maximum level with 0% Quality.
1x Vaal Orb
  • 7x vaal skill gems
  • 1x Sacrifice vaal fragment
Resulting gems are at maximum level with 0% Quality.
1x Ruby Ring (normal)
  • 1x Iron Ring
  • 1x red skill gem
By swapping in / out multiple skill gems on the vendor's sell screen a 30% resist ring can be guaranteed for only a few wisdom scrolls.
1x Topaz Ring (normal)
  • 1x Iron Ring
  • 1x green skill gem
By swapping in / out multiple skill gems on the vendor's sell screen a 30% resist ring can be guaranteed for only a few wisdom scrolls.
1x Sapphire Ring (normal)
  • 1x Iron Ring
  • 1x blue skill gem
By swapping in / out multiple skill gems on the vendor's sell screen a 30% resist ring can be guaranteed for only a few wisdom scrolls.
1x Onyx Amulet (normal)
  • 1x amulet
  • 1x red skill gem
  • 1x green skill gem
  • 1x blue skill gem
The resulting amulet's attribute (implicit stat) can be altered by switching out the base amulet or skill gems with new ones randomly as long as you can meet the requirements of the recipe.
1x Life Flask with Grants (x)% Of (local flask) Life Recovery To Minions
  • 1x Any rarity Life Flask
  • 1x Orb of Transmutation
  • 1x Any rarity Bone Spirit Shield

Can be used to craft a Helmet with +1 to Level of Minion Gems in this item

1x Helmet with +1 to Level of Minion Gems in this item
  • 1x magic helmet
  • 1x Orb of Alteration
  • 1x Life Flask with the suffix "of Animation"
The helmet must be magic rarity.
Hyrri's Bite
  • 1x white Sharktooth Arrow Quiver
  • 1x rare Onyx Amulet
  • 1x Rain of Arrows gem with at least 1% quality
  • 1x Orb of Chance

PoE Skill Gem Quality

Both active and support skill gems may have quality. Every skill is affected by quality differently, but frequently it somehow improves the damage dealt with the skill. Buffs and curses, obviously, do not have their damage improved. Even those that do have their damage improved will see different rates of improvement for a given amount of quality.

The quality of skill gems may be improved with a Gemcutter's Prism. These upgrades always improve a skill's quality by 1%. Alternatively, a level 20 skill gem and a Gemcutter's Prism can be sold for a level 1 gem with 20% quality.

The effect of quality scales with the base quality effect, however, only whole numbers will be granted (and thus the effect will always be rounded down); for example 3% quality on a gem with 0.5% effect will only grant 1% effect and not 1.5% effect. Effects that have some degree of fractions naturally are rounded to their natural bases (i.e. seconds will be rounded to milliseconds, etc.).

It is possible to get a gem's quality above 20% through corruption, the use of Enhance Support and certain gear.

PoE Gem Quality Recipe

Result Skill Gem Recipes Notes
20% quality skill gem
(PoE 3.14 Challenge)
The resulting gem will be of the same skill, and will have its level reset to 1. Does not work with Corrupted gems.
1x Gemcutter's Prism 1x 20% quality skill gem  
1x Gemcutter's Prism Skill Gems with a total of at least 40% quality  

Vendor Recipes Skill Gems Examples

1. Degrade level 1 Recipe for skill gems

Skill Gem Recipe
1x Skill Gem’s level -1 = 1x Skill Gem + 1x Orb of Scouring Orb of Scouring

Sell any skill gem with a level plus an Orb of Scouring Orb of Scouring to any vendor, the skill gem’s level will minus 1. For example, a level of 15 skill gem plus an Orb of Scouring Orb of Scouring will exchange for a skill gem of level 14.

Since Vaal Gems cannot be modified anymore, this vendor recipe cannot apply for Corrupted gems.

2. Reset a skill gem to level 1

1x level 1 skill gem = 1x skill gem + 1x Orb of Regret Orb of Regret

Plus an Orb of Regret Orb of Regret to a level skill gem recipe, the level will reset to 1. Be careful, any level will be reset to level 1. Orb of Regret Orb of Regret is a PoE currency can also grant a passive skill refund point for a skill tree.

This recipe cannot apply for Corrupted skill gems as well.

3. Quality 20% skill gem Recipe

1x 20% quality skill gem = 1x level 20 skill gem + 1x Gemcutter’s Gem

Gemcutter’s Gem is an expensive PoE currency and improves the quality of a gem. To reach 20% quality, you need 20 Gemcutter’s Gem. This method is useful to save a lot of Gemcutter’s Gem. The return skill gem is the same type of as the old one.

Vaal skill gems cannot use this vendor recipe.

4. Block Chance Reduction Support Recipe

Block Chance Reduction Support Recipe

1x Block Chance Reduction Block Chance Reduction Support = 1x Puncture Puncture + 1x any dexterity shield with 20% quality

Block Chance Reduction Block Chance Reduction supports any skill that hits enemies. This support gem can be only obtained by the vendor recipe. A Puncture Puncture skill gem plus any 20% quality shield with dexterity property can vendor for Block Chance Reduction Block Chance Reduction gem.

5. Blink Arrow & Mirror Arrow Recipe

  • 1x Mirror Arrow Mirror Arrow = 1x Blink Arrow Blink Arrow + 1x Orb of Alteration Orb of Alteration
  • 1x Blink Arrow Blink Arrow = 1x Mirror Arrow Mirror Arrow + 1x Orb of Alteration Orb of Alteration

Blink Arrow & Mirror Arrow Recipe

Blink Arrow Blink Arrow is an attack that fires an arrow, upon reaching the destination you are teleported there and a clone is summoned at your previous location. Mirror Arrow Mirror Arrow is an attack that fires an arrow, dealing damage and summoning a clone when it reaches its destination. The clone is a minion that uses the player’s bow and quiver.

You can purchase these two skill gem from Siosa(The Library, Act 3) or Lilly Roth(Lioneye’s Watch, Act 6).

6. Vendor unique Bitterdream for gems

Bitterdream Recipe

Bitterdream Bitterdream is a unique shadow Sceptre and 22% increased Elemental Damage. Sell a Bitterdream Bitterdream to any vendor, you will get the following gems:

  • 1x Hypothermia Hypothermia Support
  • 1x Ice Bite Ice Bite Support
  • 1x Cold Penetration Cold Penetration Support
  • 1x Mana Leech Mana Leech Support
  • 1x Added Cold Damage Added Cold Damage Support(Level 10)
  • 1x Reduced Mana Reduced Mana Support

7. The Hungry Loop Recipe

Selling The Hungry Loop The Hungry Loop to a vendor returns any consumed support gems.

The Hungry Loop The Hungry Loop is a unique Unset Ring. It consumes socketed support gems when they reach maximum level. When a support gem is consumed, the Hungry Loop gains a modifier that supports socketed skill gems with the maximum level of the consumed support. Gem quality is ignored. The Hungry Loop The Hungry Loop can consume up to four different support gems.

How to get Skill Gems?

There are several methods of obtaining skills and support gems:

  • (1) Earned through a quest reward
  • (2) Purchased from town vendors once a certain quest is complete
  • (3) Vendors in Acts 1-4 sell leveled skill gems. The available gems are based on the character’s class.
  • (4) Siosa in Act 3 sells all unleveled skill gems that can be received as quest rewards, across all classes.
  • (5) Lilly Roth in Act 6 sells all unleveled skill gems after completing the Act 6 quest “Fallen from Grace”.
  • (6) Vendor recipes.
  • (7) Random drop from monsters, chests and strongboxes.
  • (8) Random offer from a master.
  • (9) Vaal skill gems come from Vaal Vessels in corrupted areas.
  • (10) As a reward for turning certain sets of divination cards.

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