On this page
- Quick answer
- Quick facts
- Uncut gem families
- What you can cut
- How to get Uncut Gems
- How to cut a gem
- Pre-use checklist
- Outcomes by need
- How uncut gems interact with skills
- Uncut gems vs other paths
- Community evidence
- Video and timestamps
- Problems and direct answers
- Connected content
- Patch history
- Sources and verification
Quick Facts
- Item Type
- Gem
- Rarity
- Normal
- Use Cases
- Skills · Gems · Crafting
QUICK ANSWER
Quick answer
Uncut gems replace random gem drops - you choose the gem, not the RNG.
You can only cut a gem whose attribute/level requirement you currently meet; others show locked until you qualify.
Getting the specific skill or support gem your build needs, at the level the uncut gem allows.
Confirm you meet the gem's attribute/level requirement before cutting.
Cutting a high-tier gem into a low-value gem you will replace later.
QUICK FACTS
Quick facts
- Forms
- Uncut Skill Gem / Uncut Support Gem
- Two item types; cut into skills or supports respectively.
- Choice
- You pick the gem
- Replaces random gem drops with deliberate selection.
- Gating
- Attribute + level
- Only gems you qualify for can be cut.
- Tiers
- Higher tier = higher level
- Upgrade an uncut gem before cutting for a stronger result.
ITEM FAMILY
Uncut gem families
There are two uncut families - skill and support - each in tiers. A higher tier uncut gem yields a higher-level finished gem. The exact tier-to-level mapping can shift between patches; treat the in-game Workshop as the source of truth.
Skills
Uncut Skill Gem
Cut into a skill gemCut at the Workshop into any skill gem you meet the requirements for. Tier sets the resulting gem level.
Supports
Uncut Support Gem
Cut into a support gemCut into any support gem you qualify for; supports modify the skills they are linked to.
Tiers
Gem tiers
I / II / III (example)Higher tiers produce higher-level gems. You can upgrade a lower uncut gem toward a higher tier before cutting.
VALID TARGET MATRIX
What you can cut
You can only cut a gem whose attribute and level requirement you currently meet. Unmet gems stay locked in the Workshop until you qualify.
| Target | Meets requirement | Below requirement | Wrong category | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can cut now | Yes | No | No | Unlocked in Workshop |
| Shows locked | No | Locked | No | Until you qualify |
| Skill vs Support | By uncut type | By uncut type | Mismatch blocks | Match the uncut type |
ACQUISITION
How to get Uncut Gems
Uncut gems are handed out as you progress and drop throughout the game.
Quest rewards
Main-story and side quests grant Uncut Skill and Support Gems as you unlock the gem system.
Monster / map drops
Uncut gems drop from monsters and endgame content, with tier scaling by area level.
Vendor / Gem Stash
Some NPCs and the shared Gem Stash let you manage, store and sometimes redeem gems.
Currency upgrade
Use a gem-upgrade currency to raise an uncut gem's tier before cutting.
USE FLOW
How to cut a gem
Open the Workshop
Right-click the Uncut Gem (or use the Gem Stash) to open the Gemcutter's Workshop.
Pick the gem
Browse skills or supports; only those you qualify for are selectable.
Confirm tier
Higher uncut tier yields a higher-level gem - confirm before cutting.
Cut
Confirm to convert the uncut gem into the chosen gem, added to your Gem Stash.
PRE-USE CHECKLIST
Pre-use checklist
| Done | Check | Why it matters | Quick fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Requirements met Confirm attribute/level for the gem you want. | Locked gems cannot be cut yet. | Level up or respec attributes, then cut. | |
| Right uncut type Use Uncut Skill Gem for skills, Uncut Support Gem for supports. | Wrong type cannot produce the gem you want. | Match the uncut type to the target. | |
| Tier is enough Check the resulting gem level the tier gives. | Cutting a low tier wastes a high-value gem choice. | Upgrade the uncut gem's tier first if needed. |
OUTCOME ANALYSIS
Outcomes by need
| Scenario | Benefit | Risk | Audience | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core skill needed | Uncut Skill Gem -> the exact skill you plan around | Low | Every build | Low Cut your core skill early |
| Support coverage | Uncut Support Gem -> the support that boosts your skill | Low | All builds | Low Cut supports after the skill |
| High-level gem wanted | Higher-tier uncut -> higher gem level | Low | Endgame | Medium Upgrade tier before cutting |
| Wrong attribute gem | Gem locked until requirements met | Medium | Mismatched build | Medium Do not force; qualify first |
SKILL INTERACTIONS
How uncut gems interact with skills
Uncut gems are the delivery mechanism for your entire skill kit. Instead of hoping a specific gem drops, you hold an Uncut Skill Gem and cut it into the exact skill your build needs at the Workshop.
Support gems work the same way: an Uncut Support Gem becomes the support that modifies a linked skill. Because you choose supports deliberately, you plan your support setup around the gems you can actually cut.
Attribute and level requirements gate the choice. A Strength gem stays locked until your build has enough Strength; an Intelligence-locked support waits until you qualify. This is why uncut gems are also a build-planning tool: the gems you can cut right now reflect your current attribute spread.
Finished gems live in the shared Gem Stash, where you socket them into weapons, armour and amulets. Upgrading an uncut gem's tier before cutting is the main way to reach higher gem levels without finding a higher-tier drop.
- Uncut Skill Gem -> chosen skill gem.
- Uncut Support Gem -> chosen support gem.
- Attribute/level gating makes uncut gems a build-planning signal.
- Upgrade tier before cutting for higher gem level.
- Finished gems go to the shared Gem Stash for socketing.
ALTERNATIVES
Uncut gems vs other paths
In Path of Exile 1, finished skill gems dropped from monsters and vendors. Path of Exile 2 replaces that with uncut gems: you always choose the gem, so there is no 'wrong drop' frustration - but you also cannot stockpile a finished gem you do not yet qualify for.
Compared to buying a gem from an NPC, uncut gems are the default path in PoE2; vendors and the Gem Stash are secondary ways to manage or redeem gems. The choice still lives in the Workshop.
Against simply keeping a higher-tier uncut gem, cutting early lets you use the skill now, while holding a high-tier uncut gem delays power until you cut it. Balance immediate need against the higher gem level a top tier would give.
- PoE1: finished gems drop. PoE2: you cut uncut gems (no wrong drops).
- Vendors/Gem Stash are secondary to the Workshop.
- Cut early for use now, or hold high tier for a stronger gem later.
COMMUNITY EVIDENCE
Community evidence
The skill gem I want is locked in the Workshop - why?
A player could not cut the gem they wanted.
The gem's attribute or level requirement is not met. It stays locked until the build qualifies (more attribute points or a higher level).
Meet the gem's attribute/level requirement, then cut it.
Should I upgrade the uncut gem's tier before cutting?
Players asked whether tier matters.
Higher-tier uncut gems produce higher-level finished gems. If you want the strongest version, upgrade the tier before cutting; if you need the skill now, cut at the tier you have.
Upgrade tier for a higher gem level; cut at current tier for immediate use.
video
Video and timestamps
Scyushi
Everything You Need To Know About Gems
Beginner-friendly breakdown of the PoE2 gem and uncut-gem system.
What to watch for: Best starting point for the gem system.
Open source ↗LaserBolt
Uncut Skill & Support Gems Guide
How to get and upgrade uncut gems.
What to watch for: Good for farming and upgrading strategy.
Open source ↗Ebontis
Ultimate Beginners Guide - Skills, Gems & More
Broad beginner guide covering skills, gems and shards.
What to watch for: Useful context for where gems fit.
Open source ↗PROBLEMS & DIRECT ANSWERS
Problems and direct answers
Gem is locked in Workshop
Direct answer: You do not meet the gem's attribute or level requirement yet.
- Raise the relevant attribute or level, then return to cut.
Cut the wrong gem
Direct answer: Cutting consumes the uncut gem; the chosen gem is final for that item.
- Double-check the selection before confirming; keep spare uncut gems for other choices.
Gem level lower than expected
Direct answer: The uncut gem's tier set the level; a lower tier gives a lower-level gem.
- Upgrade the uncut gem's tier before cutting next time.
PATCH HISTORY
Patch history
Uncut Skill Gems and Uncut Support Gems introduced as the gem-delivery system; cut at the Gemcutter's Workshop.
The uncut-gem and Workshop system remains the way to obtain skill and support gems; tiers and support behaviour refined through 0.3.x/0.5.x are current.
SOURCES & VERIFICATION
Sources and verification
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