Let me tell you, when I first started collecting gems in this fascinating world of ours, I had no idea what I was doing. I'd just wander around aimlessly, occasionally stumbling upon something shiny and calling it a day. But after spending countless hours exploring every nook and cranny, rescuing villagers trapped in that awful rot, and purging defiled areas, I've developed a system that's completely transformed my collection. The truth is, not all gems are created equal, and today I'm going to share my personal guide to the top 10 super gems you absolutely need in your collection right now.
The whole process begins with what I like to call the "daily grind" - though honestly, it's more exciting than it sounds. Each morning, I head out to scout new areas while keeping an eye out for villagers who've gotten themselves ensnared in the rot. There's something incredibly satisfying about freeing them, watching as they shake off the corruption and stand tall again. But here's where the real magic happens: as you're rescuing people and clearing out smaller pockets of defilement, you start collecting crystals. I've found that the best approach is methodical - I always start by cutting down those small, glowing plants that line the pathways. They might seem insignificant at first, but trust me, those little guys add up faster than you'd think. Just last week, I managed to gather about 157 crystals in a single day by being thorough with these plants while moving between larger purification sites.
Now, purging the actual defilement zones is where the real crystal haul comes from. I've developed a technique where I tackle the smaller areas first - they're usually contained within visible boundaries and take me roughly 15-20 minutes each to cleanse completely. The trick is to work systematically from the perimeter inward, making sure you don't miss any spots. I learned this the hard way when I had to re-clear an area three times because I kept missing a patch of corruption hidden behind some rocks. Each successful purge typically nets me between 40-80 crystals depending on the size of the area, which is nothing to sneeze at when you're trying to build your collection.
What really changed the game for me was understanding how to strategically use these crystals. At first, I'd just spend them randomly - a little path clearing here, a job assignment there. But after tracking my results over about two months, I realized that allocating exactly 60% of my crystals to carving paths for Yoshiro and 40% to assigning jobs to rescued villagers gave me the best return on investment. The villagers you rescue become incredible assets when properly deployed - some are natural scouts who can help identify new gem-rich areas, while others excel at maintaining cleared territories to prevent re-corruption. Just yesterday, I assigned a villager named Elara to watch over the western valley, and she's already prevented two minor rot outbreaks that could have cost me dozens of crystals to clean up.
The moment of truth comes when you've finally purged all the defilement from an area. I still get chills every time I complete a zone - the air literally clears, colors become more vibrant, and then that magnificent shrine opens up. These shrine rewards are where you'll find the truly exceptional gems for your collection. From my experience across 37 completed shrines, I can confidently say that the gem quality scales with how thoroughly you've cleansed the area. Rushing through just doesn't cut it - I've compared notes with other collectors who skip the pathway plants and do minimal purging, and their shrine rewards are consistently inferior to what I've been receiving.
Based on my personal collection and trading experiences, here are the super gems I believe every serious collector should prioritize. First up is the Solaris Quartz - I've found exactly 3 of these in my travels, each from shrines where I'd collected over 200 crystals before completion. Then there's the Nightshade Emerald, which seems to only appear in areas where you've rescued at least 5 villagers before cleansing the final corruption patch. The Crimson Fang Ruby is another must-have; I've noticed it drops more frequently from mountain region shrines, particularly when you've used villagers to maintain the area for at least 4 days post-clearing. The list goes on, but these three form the foundation of what I consider a premium collection.
What many beginners don't realize is that the gems themselves can influence your future collecting. I keep my Solaris Quartz with me when I'm scouting new areas - call me superstitious, but I swear it helps me spot hidden corruption patches that I might otherwise miss. The vibrational energy, or whatever you want to call it, seems to react to concentrated rot. Meanwhile, my Nightshade Emerald stays at my base camp, where I've noticed it helps newly rescued villagers recover faster from their ordeal. These aren't just pretty rocks to display - they're active tools that enhance your entire collecting operation.
I'll be honest - there were times early on when I considered giving up. The work is demanding, and some days it feels like you're making no progress at all. But then I completed my first major zone, watched that shrine open, and held my first truly exceptional gem. That moment made every frustrating hour worthwhile. Now, with my collection growing and my techniques refined, I can confidently say that discovering these top 10 super gems has transformed not just my collection, but my entire approach to this world. The satisfaction of building something meaningful, of actually making a difference in these virtual landscapes while curating something beautiful - that's what keeps me going back day after day. If you take nothing else from this, remember that the gems are wonderful, but the journey to collect them is what truly enriches the experience.