You're standing in the Forgotten Lands. It's dark, a bit spooky, and you've just spent the last twenty minutes swinging your pickaxe at every black rock in sight. You need an Amethyst. Not just any Amethyst—you need the shiny version for a quest or perhaps a high-value gift for a villager who is being particularly demanding today. We’ve all been there. Managing your inventory of Disney Dreamlight Valley gems feels like a full-time job sometimes, especially when Scrooge McDuck is staring you down with a 10,000-coin furniture item you absolutely must have for your living room.
Gems aren't just pretty rocks. They are the backbone of the valley’s economy. If you don't know where to look, or more importantly, how to look, you’re basically just hitting rocks and hoping for the best. That’s a waste of energy. Honestly, the difference between a player who struggles to pay for house upgrades and one who has a million Star Coins in the bank usually comes down to their mining route.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Persona 3 Reload FeMC Debate Still Matters to Fans
The Reality of Mining Node Locations
Every biome has its own specific loot table. You won’t find a Diamond in the Peaceful Meadow. It just won’t happen. If you're looking for Topaz, you need to stick to the Plaza. It’s the first place you start, and frankly, it's easy to overlook once you unlock the flashier areas like the Sunlit Plateau. But Topaz is essential.
The Forest of Valor is where things get interesting because it holds Emeralds and Aquamarines. Emeralds are notoriously stubborn. You might clear the entire forest and come away with nothing but stone and coal. Then there’s the Glade of Trust. It’s damp, it’s muddy, but it’s the only place to find Citrine and Emeralds in tandem.
Dazzle Beach is your source for Aquamarine and Peridot. If you’re trying to craft some of the more "water-themed" furniture, you’re going to be spending a lot of time running along the cliffs there. The Sunlit Plateau is the exclusive home of Gold Nuggets and Tourmaline. And the Forgotten Lands? That’s the big leagues. That’s where the Diamonds and Amethysts live. It’s the most expensive biome to unlock for a reason.
Why Shiny Gems Are Sometimes a Curse
Let's talk about the "Shiny" variants. They sparkle. They sell for four times the price of a standard gem. On paper, they’re better. But here’s the thing: they are actually useless for most crafting recipes. If a quest asks for five Diamonds, and you have five Shiny Diamonds, the game usually won't let you use them. It’s frustrating. You end up with a chest full of incredibly expensive rocks that you’re afraid to sell because "what if I need them later?"
Sell them. Just do it.
Unless you are specifically hoarding them to give as a "favorite gift" to a character like Scrooge or Mickey, the Shiny versions of Disney Dreamlight Valley gems are meant to be your primary income stream. A Shiny Diamond goes for 2,400 Star Coins. A regular one is only 600. When you’re trying to expand your inventory or buy that fifth upgrade for your house, those Shiny versions are your best friends.
Breaking Down the Value
- Diamonds: Found in Forgotten Lands. Standard price is 600.
- Amethyst: Also Forgotten Lands. Sells for 500.
- Sapphire: You’ll need to head into the Vitalys Mines for these. 350 coins.
- Ruby: Also a Vitalys Mine exclusive. 350 coins.
- Emerald: Forest of Valor or Glade of Trust. 325 coins.
- Tourmaline: Sunlit Plateau or Frosted Heights. 420 coins.
The Vitalys Mines, located at the mouth of the river in the Sunlit Plateau, changed the game's economy entirely when they were added. Before that, mining was a bit of a slog. Now, you can run a circuit through the mines and come out with a stack of Vitalys Crystals, which are necessary for making even better mining potions.
The Buddy System Isn't Optional
If you are mining without a level 10 Mining Buddy, you are literally throwing money away. It sounds harsh, but it's true. When you hang out with a character assigned to the mining role, they have a chance to "find" an extra gem every time you pull one from a node.
At level 10, this is almost a guaranteed double drop.
Think about the math. If you find a Shiny Diamond worth 2,400 coins and your buddy tosses you a second one, you just made 4,800 coins from a single rock. That’s more than some people make in an hour of fishing. Use characters like Kristoff or Maui for this. Their large character models can sometimes get in the way in tight spaces like the Vitalys Mines, but the extra loot is worth the occasional camera glitch.
Potion Stacking for Maximum Efficiency
Miracle Pickaxe Polish. Use it. It’s crafted using Vitalys Crystals, Dreamlight, and some Onyx. When you apply this to your pickaxe, the next few nodes you hit are guaranteed to drop gems. If you combine a Miracle Pickaxe Polish with a level 10 Mining Buddy, you can clear a biome and walk away with 20 or 30 gems in minutes.
Onyx is a bit of a wildcard. It can drop from any mining node in any biome. It’s rare, but it’s the key ingredient for these potions. Don't sell your Onyx. Ever. You'll regret it when you're trying to grind for a specific quest item later.
Common Misconceptions About Respawn Times
I see people online saying that you have to wait an hour for gems to respawn. That's just wrong. The mining nodes themselves—the black rocks on the walls—respawn every five minutes.
However, whether or not that node contains a gem is randomized.
📖 Related: The Echoes of Wisdom Lynel: How to Find and Beat the Game's Toughest Summon
You can "force" gems to appear by clearing every node in a circuit. Start in the Plaza, hit the Meadow, go to the Beach, hit the Glade, and by the time you get back to the Plaza, the first rocks will have already reappeared. This is the "loop" method. If you only hit the rocks that have visible gems sticking out of them, you’re slowing down the refresh rate of the entire biome. You have to break the empty rocks to give the game a chance to spawn a gem in that spot five minutes later.
Crafting and Quests: The Hidden Sink
Gems aren't just for money. You'll need them for things like the "Great Blizzard" quest or for building various DJ booths and lampposts. If you’re a fan of decorating your valley, you’re going to need a lot of Citrine and Aquamarine for those high-end outdoor furniture pieces.
And don't get me started on the "Hoop House" or certain paths. Some pathing styles require crushed gems to get that specific glittery look. This is why having a storage system is vital. I usually keep one chest specifically for "Two of Each." Two stacks of regular gems, two stacks of shiny. Anything beyond that gets sold to Goofy immediately. It keeps the inventory clutter down and the bank account up.
The Vitalys Mines Strategy
The mines are a different beast. You aren't just looking for Disney Dreamlight Valley gems in there; you're looking for Rubies and Sapphires. These are only found in the mines. The layout is a bit like a maze, but there’s a logic to it.
The nodes in the mines often drop Vitalys Crystals. These are the blue-glowing ores. While they don't sell for a lot, they are the primary ingredient for the potions I mentioned earlier. If you spend 15 minutes in the mines, you can usually gather enough material to make two or three Miracle Pickaxe Polishes. This creates a "loop of plenty." You mine the mines to get the polish, use the polish to mine the Forgotten Lands for Diamonds, sell the Diamonds to buy seeds, and use the seeds to make even more money.
It’s an ecosystem.
Practical Next Steps for Your Valley
If you’re feeling broke or your chests are empty, stop what you’re doing and reorganize your approach to mining. Start by picking a dedicated Mining Buddy—pick someone you actually like, because you’ll be seeing a lot of them.
Next, craft at least three Miracle Pickaxe Polishes. If you don't have the Onyx, spend twenty minutes doing a full lap of every biome, hitting every single black rock you see. You'll find the Onyx eventually.
Once you have your potions and your buddy, head straight to the Forgotten Lands. It is the highest ROI (Return on Investment) for your time. Clear the area, then move to the Sunlit Plateau. By the time you’ve finished those two areas, the nodes in the Forgotten Lands will be nearly ready to pop again.
👉 See also: Why Big Smoke GTA SA is the Best Villain Rockstar Ever Wrote
Don't hoard every shiny gem you find. Keep five of each for safety, and liquidate the rest. Your Star Coin balance will thank you, and you'll finally be able to afford that ridiculous gold fountain Scrooge has been mocking you with in his window.
Focus your efforts on the high-value biomes. Forget the Meadow if you need cash. Forget the Forest if you’re looking for Diamonds. Efficiency in your route is the only thing that separates the casual players from the Valley tycoons. Get out there and start swinging that pickaxe.