2fps

If you’re new to the world of gems and sockets you may be a bit overwhelmed by your options. This is a quick reference guide to help narrow down your choices. Think of this not so much as a detailed list of rules but rather, a wide brush-strokes picture to get you started.

Something you may not have realized is that the stats on a cut gem directly relate to the gem’s color. WoW Wiki has an excellent article on this subject and it would behoove you to check it out so you have a better grasp on gems in general. For instance, Agility is a red stat. Hit is a yellow stat. If you wanted a gem that had both Agility and Hit on it, you’d be looking for an orange gem. By the same token, you won’t ever find a green gem with agility but you will find one with hit.  Knowing which stats are associated with which colors will help you quickly figure out what colors of gems you want when it comes time to socket your gear.

It also helps to know that depending on your role, be it a tank, dps or healer, certain gems are always going to be very attractive to you while certain other gems will always be very unattractive even if the gem has a stat on it that your class can use in some way. 

For example, take the Vivid Eye of Zul. This gem has hit rating which can be valuable to DPS of all kinds. The secondary stat however contributes nothing at all to DPS. A gem that provides two useful stats will be more helpful than a gem that provides just one useful stat when it comes to maximizing personal DPS.

Now let’s take a look at the gems you ought to be using in your personal palette depending on your role and the class you play.

When in doubt, stick to your palette!

Tanking

As a tank, your palette of gems should look like this:

This role’s palette is based primarily on the color blue. Stamina, a blue stat, is of such importance to a tank that you want to pack it into as many sockets as you possibly can. Other stats you may find useful as a tank include Expertise rating, Hit rating, Defense rating, Dodge rating and Agility.

Parry rating is generally unattractive to all tanks and you shouldn’t be socketing your equipment with it.

The best meta gem to use as a tank is the Austere Earthsiege Diamond. Activating this meta requires 2 gems matching a blue socket and one gem matching a red socket.

The tank’s palette includes: Solid Majestic Zircon, Enduring Eye of Zul, Vivid Eye of Zul, Guardian’s Dreadstone, Shifting Dreadstone, Regal Dreadstone, Austere Earthsiege Diamond.

Physical DPS

As physical DPS, your palette of gems should look like this:

This role’s palette is based primarily on the color red. Strength and Agility, both red stats, are generally the two most valuable stats in this group depending on the class you play.

Death Knights, Paladins and Warriors should stick to Strength-based gems.

Druids, Hunters, Rogues and Shaman should stick to Agility-based gems.

Other stats you may find useful as physical dps include Expertise rating, Hit rating, Armor Penetration rating, Haste rating and Critical Strike rating.

For physical DPS, a good rule of thumb to follow when planning which gems to get is to first meet the requirements of your meta gem if you have one. Second, reach your classes respective hit cap(s). Third, fill your available sockets with the red gem most useful to your class.

The best meta gem to use as physical DPS varies depending on a number of factors including class, number of sockets available, etc. The choice is between the Chaotic Skyflare Diamond or the Relentless Earthsiege Diamond. To activate the former you need one red, yellow and blue gem. The latter requires two gems matching a blue socket to activate.

The only reason this palette includes yellow gems is to include the Rigid King’s Amber. This gem can be helpful when you’re trying to reach what is commonly called a hit cap, the point at which your attacks will never miss against a raid boss unless you are under the effect of some debuff that reduces your chance to hit. For this reason, yellow gems should not be used for anything other than hit rating and then only when significantly below hit cap.

The only reason this palette includes purple gems is to satisfy the requirements of your meta gem. To activate your chosen meta gem you will need either one or two gems matching a blue socket and you should meet those requirements by socketing either one or two purple gems. Using green gems to activate your meta gem will always be inferior to using purple gems.

The physical DPS palette includes: Bold Cardinal Ruby, Delicate Cardinal Ruby, Deadly Ametrine, Deft Ametrine, Etched Ametrine, Fierce Ametrine, Glinting Ametrine, Inscribed Ametrine, Shifting Dreadstone, Sovereign Dreadstone, Rigid King’s Amber, Chaotic Skyflare Diamond, Relentless Earthsiege Diamond.

Caster DPS

As caster DPS, your palette of gems should look like this:

This role’s palette is based primarily on the color red. Spell Power, a red stat, is of such importance to caster DPS that you want to pack it into as many sockets as you possibly can. Other stats you may find useful as caster DPS include Hit Rating, Critical Strike rating, Haste rating and Spirit.

For caster DPS, a good rule of thumb to follow when planning which gems to get is to first meet the requirements of your meta gem if you have one. Second, reach your classes respective hit cap(s). Third, fill your available sockets with the red gem most useful to your class.

The best meta gem to use as caster DPS is the Chaotic Skyflare Diamond for which you will need two gems matching a blue socket to activate.

The only reason this palette includes yellow gems is to include the Rigid King’s Amber. This gem can be helpful when you’re trying to reach what is commonly called a hit cap, the point at which your attacks will never miss against a raid boss unless you are under the effect of some debuff that reduces your chance to hit. For this reason, yellow gems should not be used for anything other than hit rating and then only when significantly below hit cap.

The only reason this palette includes purple gems is to satisfy the requirements of your meta gem. To activate your chosen meta gem you will need two gems matching a blue socket and you should meet those requirements by socketing two Purified Dreadstones. Using other gems to activate your meta gem will always be inferior to using Purified Dreadstones.

The caster DPS palette includes: Runed Cardinal Ruby, Potent Ametrine, Reckless Ametrine, Veiled Ametrine, Purified Dreadstone, Rigid King’s Amber, Chaotic Skyflare Diamond.

Healing

As a healer, your palette of gems should look like this:

This role’s palette is based primarily on the color red. Spell power, a red stat, is the bread and butter of any healer and you can’t go too far wrong if you favor it in your sockets. Other stats you may find useful as a healer include Critical Strike rating, Haste rating, Intellect, mp5 and Spirit.

Spirit is the one stat that most clearly sets apart healing classes. For some, its a very useful stat while for others its entirely useless. Druids and Holy Priests derive Spell Power from Spirit to a degree so Spirit effects the strength of their heals as well as their mana regeneration. Mp5 sole function for all classes is to provide mana regeneration.

Druids and Holy Priests benefit more from Spirit than mp5.

Discipline Priests benefit more from mp5 than from Spirit.

Shamans and Paladins receive no benefit from Spirit whatsoever.

The best meta gem to use as a healer is the Insightful Earthsiege Diamond for which you will need one red, yellow and blue gem to activate.

The only reason this palette includes yellow gems is to include the Brilliant King’s Amber. For some classes, Intellect provides such a wealth of benefits that it may be worthwhile to socket the pure yellow gem. However, when you’re just starting out you will likely find it to be more beneficial to stick to the basic palette of red, orange and purple.

The healer’s palette includes: Runed Cardinal Ruby, Luminous Ametrine, Potent Ametrine, Reckless Ametrine, Purified Dreadstone, Royal Dreadstone,  Brilliant King’s Amber, Insightful Earthsiege Diamond.