If you’re looking to get refined gems in Dark Souls III, there are a few things you need to know. In this farming guide, we’ll outline the best ways to get your hands on these valuable resources. First and foremost, you need to know where to find high-level enemies. These creatures are typically much more powerful than lower-level ones, so it’s important that you take them down as quickly as possible. Look for areas with lots of enemies and consider using a weapon that deals heavy damage, like a greatsword or an axe. Once you have a group of high-level enemies under your belt, it’s time to start farming. There are several different ways to go about this, but the most effective method is usually to use a bonfire as your base of operations and then move around the area killing enemies. As they die, they will drop refined gems which can be collected in one place. Be sure not to leave the area until all of the gems have been collected; otherwise they will respawn once you return. If you want to speed up the process somewhat, it’s possible to use special items called Estus Flasks. These flasks allow players to refill their health and stamina bars at bonfires, so using them is an easy way to stay alive while farming for refined gems. Just make sure that you don’t overuse them; using too many Estus Flasks can actually kill you! Overall, refining gems is an easy way to make some extra money in Dark Souls III; just be sure not to spend too much time on this task and instead focus on defeating tougher enemies and completing more challenging quests. ..
We’ll run you through the best way to farm these enemies, as well as how to access this late-game farming spot earlier than intended.
Farming Lothric Knights
The best way to farm Refined Gems is by killing Lothric Knights, specifically those that roam Lothric Castle.
Unfortunately, Lothric Knights in other areas don’t drop Refined Gems.
So you’ll have to either wait until you access Lothric Castle at the end of the game, or perform a sequence break to get there early.
However you gain access to Lothric Castle, you’ll want to boost your item discovery stat before you start farming.
Items like the Crystal Sage’s Rapier, the Symbol of Avarice and the Covetous Gold Serpent Ring will raise your item discovery, increasing the chance that Knights will drop Refined Gems.
For a detailed rundown on item discovery-boosting gear, check out our guide on speeding up farming in Dark Souls 3.
Once you’ve equipped some suitable farming gear, head to the Dragon Barracks Bonfire to start the farm.
Head through the huge archway to the left of the Bonfire, then walk up the stairs to your right.
Make a hard left turn at the top of the staircase and follow this path around until you see a Lothric Knight with its back to you.
This Knight is the target of the farm.
This red-eyed variant of the Lothric Knight is stronger than its normal counterpart, but it’s still worth taking it out for its increased drop rate over other Knights in the area.
Once the Knight is dead, loot its corpse and head back down to the Bonfire to reset the area and try again until it eventually drops a Refined Gem.
How To Reach Lothric Castle Early
Since Lothric Castle is an end-game area, you can find yourself waiting a long time to farm Refined Gems if you progress through the game’s intended route.
Luckily, you can access the Castle much earlier if you’re willing to go through a tough fight to get there.
Warp to the Vordt of The Boreal Valley Bonfire, then head up the stairs to the Dancer of The Boreal Valley boss arena.
Kill the friendly NPC, Emma, at the back of the room, and pick up the Basin of Vows from her corpse.
After a few seconds, the Dancer of The Boreal Valley fight will start.
Fighting her early is a huge challenge, but it can be done with some practice. Persevere and you’ll make it through.
If you can defeat the Dancer here, you’ll have access to the Castle from the beginning of the game.
With freedom to explore the Castle, you can upgrade your weapon to +9 early and get to farming Refined Gems without the hassle of completing the whole game first.
