Mastering Gemcutter's Prisms is essential for any Path of Exile or Path of Exile 2 player aiming to maximize their skill gems' potential. These rare currency items are used to enhance the quality of skill gems, which directly boosts their effectiveness and can significantly improve your character’s power.

What Are Gemcutter's Prisms?

Gemcutter's Prisms (GCPs) are valuable items that increase the quality of skill gems by 1% per prism, up to a maximum of 20%. Quality on skill gems enhances various effects depending on the gem type—this can mean increased damage, larger area of effect, longer skill duration, or other beneficial attributes. For example, a fire damage skill gem might deal more damage with higher quality, while a utility gem could have an extended effect duration. Because of this, investing in quality can be a game-changer for many builds, especially when paired with optimized gear and cheap poe 2 currency to support crafting.

How to Use Gemcutter's Prisms

Using a Gemcutter's Prism is straightforward. Simply right-click the prism and then left-click the skill gem you want to improve. Each application raises the gem’s quality by 1%, and the improvements are immediately reflected in the gem’s stats. Players can check the specific benefits of quality on a gem by holding the appropriate key (such as Alt) while hovering over the gem to see detailed information about the quality bonuses.

Where to Get Gemcutter's Prisms

GCPs drop from slain enemies and can be found in special loot containers like Artisan’s Strongboxes. They can also be obtained by selling gems with a combined quality of 20% or more to vendors, making it possible to farm them indirectly by leveling and selling high-quality gems. Trading with other players is another common method, especially if you want to acquire prisms quickly without farming. In Path of Exile 2, the system has been streamlined, making Gemcutter's Prisms more accessible through drops, vendor recipes, and league mechanics. For players who prefer to skip the grind, buy poe 2 currency to fund your upgrades and get straight to high-level gem optimization.

Which Gems to Enhance

Not all skill gems benefit equally from quality improvements. Prioritize gems that gain significant boosts from quality, such as those that increase damage or utility substantially. Popular choices include offensive spells like Flame Wall, which gains increased fire damage and area coverage, or Freezing Pulse, which benefits from enhanced damage and crowd control. Support gems and utility gems can also be worth upgrading if their quality bonuses improve your build’s effectiveness.

Tips for Efficient Use

• Focus on gems that already have some base quality to avoid wasting prisms on gems that don’t benefit much.
• Level multiple gems simultaneously to maximize resource efficiency.
• Vendor high-quality gems you no longer need to replenish your supply of Gemcutter's Prisms.
• Keep in mind each gem can reach a maximum of 20% quality, so plan your prism usage accordingly.

Why Quality Matters

The quality bonus on skill gems can be a subtle but powerful way to increase your character’s performance without changing gear or passive skill trees. It enhances the core attributes of your skills, often translating into better damage output, survivability, or utility. In Path of Exile 2, the importance of gem quality has been emphasized even more, with stronger effects tied to higher quality levels and a simplified gem system that makes applying prisms easier and more impactful.

Mastering the use of Gemcutter's Prisms is a key step in optimizing your build. By understanding how to acquire, apply, and prioritize prism usage, you can unlock the full potential of your skill gems and gain a competitive edge in the challenging world of Path of Exile.