In Diablo 3 you will be able to visit your Jeweler and add sockets to gear. In these sockets and also at your Jeweler you will be able to insert powerful gems that will permanently add properties to the gear. Unlike in other Blizzard MMOs, you will be able to sell or trade the gem’ed gear and even more the gems to add more powerful ones. Similar to enhancing your gear, these gems will make it possible for you to take gear that is already pretty awesome and make it even better with a little bit of gold or real money.

Your Jeweler will be able to add sockets to all head equipment (helms, spirit stones, voodoo maks and wizard hats), to cloaks and chest armor, to bracers, belts, amulets and shields. The rest of the gear can be enhanced at your Mystic with powerful enhancements.

Types of Gems

There are four different types of gems, each adding a unique property to a piece of gear. The Amethyst, Emerald, Ruby and Topaz. They each add one property to a piece of gear, which property it adds depends on what type of gear it is inserted into.

Amethyst – Adds Vitality to all gear and adds a percentage of life when used in your helmet.
Emerald- Adds Precision to all gear and increases your chance to find magical items when used in your helmet.
Topaz – Adds Defense to all gear and increases the gold dropped from enemies when used in your helmet.
Ruby – Adds Attack to all gear and increases experience rewarded per kill when used in your helmet.

Gem Quality

Gems will come in 14 different qualities. You will be able to find: chipped, flawed, normal, flawless and perfect by killing monsters within the Diablo world and as you level up your Jeweler you will be able to combine 3 of any of these qualities into their next tier of quality (3 chipped will turn into 1 flawed). Three perfect gems will combine to become a radiant gem, 3 radiant will turn into a square gem. These are just the first 7 tiers of gems, there are a total of 14 tiers gems but you will only find the first 5 from killing monsters. Chipped, flawed, normal, flawless, perfect, radiant, square, flawless square, perfect square, radiant square, star, flawless star, perfect star, radiant star.

Gems will become easier and easier to find at higher tiers as time goes by because players will be able to remove gems from their gear and combine them to make a higher quality gem.

Amethyst – Adds Vitality to all gear and adds a percentage of life when used in your helmet.

Important: Many of the strategies and tips I share here were originally inspired by the people at the Diablo 3 Gold Secrets Forum. If you're serious about making the big bucks in Diablo 3, or just being the best players, you need to signup ASAP.