Gemcutter’s Prism is an essential crafting currency in Path of Exile 2 that allows players to improve the quality of their skill gems, enhancing their effectiveness and overall character power. For beginners, understanding how to obtain and use Gemcutter’s Prisms effectively is a crucial step toward optimizing their gameplay and crafting strong builds.

At its simplest, a Gemcutter’s Prism increases the quality of a skill gem by 1% each time it is applied, with a maximum quality cap of 20%. This quality boost translates into tangible benefits for the gem’s performance—often increasing damage, reducing mana costs, or improving other specific effects depending on the gem. For example, increasing the quality of a damage-dealing skill gem can raise its physical or elemental damage output, while support gems may gain enhanced buff or debuff effects.

To use a Gemcutter’s Prism, a player must right-click the prism in their inventory and then left-click the skill gem they wish to enhance. This straightforward process allows for incremental improvements that, when accumulated, can dramatically increase a character’s effectiveness in combat. It’s important to note that quality improvements only apply to skill gems, not to other items or equipment.

Beginners should prioritize applying Gemcutter’s Prisms to their core skill gems—the ones they use most frequently or that form the foundation of their build. Since the maximum quality is capped at 20%, focusing on a few key gems rather than spreading prisms across many less important ones provides the best return on investment. This focused approach ensures that the most impactful skills benefit from the quality boost, making gameplay smoother and more powerful.

Obtaining Gemcutter’s Prisms can be done in several ways. They drop randomly from enemies throughout the game, meaning players can acquire them naturally as they progress. Additionally, after reaching Cruel difficulty (unlocked after completing Act 3 on Normal), players can access a Currency Exchange NPC who offers Gemcutter’s Prisms in exchange for other items. Vendor recipes also allow players to trade high-quality skill gems for prisms, providing a method to convert excess gems into valuable crafting currency. poe 2 currency can also be used for acquiring them through trade, and cheap poe 2 currency might be the key to getting better deals.

One important tip for beginners is to avoid using Gemcutter’s Prisms on corrupted gems, as corruption locks the gem’s quality and prevents further improvement. It’s best to enhance the quality before deciding to corrupt a gem for additional sockets or links, balancing the trade-offs between quality and other gem modifications.

Understanding the impact of quality on different gems is also valuable. Some gems gain damage bonuses, others reduce mana costs or increase duration, so knowing the specific benefits of quality for your chosen gems helps in deciding where to invest your prisms. This knowledge ensures that each Gemcutter’s Prism is used to maximize your build’s potential.

Gemcutter’s Prisms are a beginner-friendly yet powerful tool for crafting better skill gems in Path of Exile 2. By learning how to acquire them, applying them strategically to core gems, and understanding their effects, new players can significantly enhance their characters’ abilities and enjoy a more rewarding gameplay experience. Mastering Gemcutter’s Prisms is a foundational step on the path to crafting excellence in the game.