Stardew Valley Crystalarium: How to get and best gems

In Stardew Valley, the array of machines and workstations can easily overwhelm you.

The Crystalarium is a workstation that can replicate gems in Stardew Valley. Naturally, since gems are among the priciest items in the game, it’s only natural to desire them early on. Even so, the journey to unlocking, crafting, and optimizing a Crystalarium won’t be a walk in the park. Here’s everything you need to know about the Crystalarium in Stardew Valley.

How to get a Crystalarium in Stardew Valley

To get a Crystalarium in Stardew Valley, donate 50 minerals to the Museum or deposit 25,000 gold in the Vault bundle of the Community Center. When you do, Gunther or the Junimos reward you with your very own Crystalarium.

How to unlock the Crystalarium recipe in Stardew Valley

If two Crystalariums aren’t enough, get the Crystalarium crafting recipe upon reaching Mining level nine in Stardew Valley.

Once you’ve achieved this milestone, the recipe will become available for crafting in your inventory tab.

How to craft a Crystalarium in Stardew Valley

To craft a Crystalarium, gather the necessary materials:

• 99 Stone: Obtained from mining rocks.
• Five Gold Bars: Obtained from smelting gold ore in a Furnace. 
• Two Iridium Bars: Obtained from smelting iridium ore in a Furnace.
• One Battery Pack: Obtained from Lightning Rods when there’s a thunderstorm.

With these in hand, you’re ready to craft your own Crystalarium.

How the Crystalarium works in Stardew Valley

Place your Crystalarium anywhere you like and insert a gem or mineral of your choice. Over time, the Crystalarium will replicate the inserted item, providing you with an infinite source of that particular gem or mineral in Stardew Valley.

Best gems for the Crystalarium in Stardew Valley

Best gem for the early game

While Diamonds may seem like the obvious choice for their high value, if you only have one or two Crystalariums, start with Rubies.

Rubies can be traded for Spicy Eel at the Desert Trader. Spicy Eel offers invaluable benefits like increased movement speed and extra luck. This luck boost is handy when exploring challenging areas like the Skull Cavern and increases your chances of finding valuable resources and reaching deeper levels. 

Best gem for the late-game

Once you’ve established your Ruby supply, consider switching to Diamonds for long-term profitability. Diamonds yield a hefty 150 gold per day when harvested from the Crystalarium. Keep in mind that Diamonds take a bit longer to replicate: five days compared to other gems. Regardless, these are not only profitable gems, but also ones you can use to redo Grandpa’s Evaluation in Stardew Valley.