Elden Ring Smithing Stone Farm: Stop Wasting Your Time On Random Drops

You've probably spent way too much time killing the same three imps in a damp catacomb hoping for a shard of rock that just won't drop. It's frustrating. Elden Ring is massive, and while it's tempting to think you need to find a secret "loot cave" to keep your weapons upgraded, the reality of an efficient Elden Ring smithing stone farm is actually more about playing smart than killing the same grunt for six hours. Honestly, if you're still relying on RNG (random number generation) to get your Uchigatana to +12, you're doing it the hard way.

The game doesn't really tell you this, but farming enemies for stones is almost always the worst use of your time. Sure, if you're stuck at a boss and need that one last level right now, it makes sense. But for the long haul? You want the Bell Bearings. These are the "golden tickets" of the Lands Between. Once you hand them to the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold, they'll just sell you the stones for runes. This turns a "farming" problem into a "rune" problem, and let's be real, runes are way easier to get.

Why Most People Fail at Finding Smithing Stones

Early on, it's easy to get lost in the Limgrave tunnels. You see those yellow-ish ore deposits on the walls and think, "Sweet, I'm set." Then you realize they don't respawn. This is the first trap. The game gives you a limited initial supply to force you into exploration. If you're looking for a sustainable Elden Ring smithing stone farm strategy in the early game, you have to look at the Limgrave Tunnels, specifically the ones near the Agheel Lake North site of grace.

The miners there actually do drop Smithing Stone (1)s, but the drop rate is abysmal. It’s like 2% or 3%. You could spend an hour there and walk away with maybe four stones. That's barely enough to tick a weapon up one level.

Instead of banging your head against the wall, head south to the Weeping Peninsula. There’s a specific spot in the Morne Tunnel where the density of ore on the walls is much higher. But again, once you pick them, they’re gone. The real "farm" starts when you realize that the Godrick Soldiers at Gatefront Ruins carry these things. If you have high Discovery—usually from pumping points into Arcane or using a Silver-Pickled Fowl Foot—you can snag a few. But it's tedious.

The Bell Bearing Revolution

Let's talk about the Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearings. This is the professional way to handle upgrades.

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1. Bell Bearing [1]: Found in Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel. This unlocks Smithing Stone 1 and 2.
2. Bell Bearing [2]: Tucked away in the Sealed Tunnel in Altus Plateau. This unlocks 3 and 4.
3. Bell Bearing [3]: Located in the Zamor Ruins in the Mountaintops of the Giants. This unlocks 5 and 6.
4. Bell Bearing [4]: Dropped by the Godskin Duo in Crumbling Farum Azula. This unlocks 7 and 8.

Once you have these, the game changes. You no longer care about enemy drops. You just go to Mohgwyn Palace (the famous bird-shooting or Albinauric-slaughtering spot), rack up 100,000 runes in five minutes, and buy a stack of 99 stones.

The Best Mid-Game Farming Spots for Somber Stones

Somber stones are a different beast. Since you only need one per level, the game is stingier with them. If you’re hunting for a Somber Elden Ring smithing stone farm, you’re probably looking for Somber 5s or 6s because that’s where the bottleneck usually happens around the mid-game.

Go to the Caelid region. Specifically, look for the "Crystal Tunnels." The Sellia Crystal Tunnel is famous for being a nightmare for low-level players who get teleported there via a trap chest, but it’s a gold mine for Somber 4s and 5s. The Fallingstar Beast at the end is a jerk, but the loot on the way is worth it.

There's also a very specific beetle—those teardrop scarabs—in the Altus Plateau, just south of the Minor Erdtree, that drops a Somber Smithing Stone (5). It's a one-time thing, though. For actual "farming," you want to head to the Nokron, Eternal City. The silver tears there have a decent chance of dropping higher-tier stones, and the area is dense enough that a single run through the city can net you a respectable pile of upgrade materials.

Don't Ignore the Gargoyles

In the Siofra River and Deeproot Depths, those stone gargoyles often drop Smithing Stone (5) and (6). They are tough. They hit like a truck. But if you have a high-stagger build, like someone using a Greatsword or the Moonveil's weapon art, you can cycle through them pretty quickly.

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Is it faster than buying them? No.
Is it a viable Elden Ring smithing stone farm if you’re broke? Absolutely.

High-Level Farming: The Consecrated Snowfield and Beyond

When you get to the late game, you're looking for Smithing Stone (7) and (8). These are notoriously rare until you hit the very last areas of the game. The Yelough Anix Tunnel in the Consecrated Snowfield is probably the single best spot for these. The miners there carry them, and the walls are lined with them.

The enemies here are scaled for the end-game, so don't go in there with 30 Vigor. You'll get flattened. But if you can clear the room, you’ll find a wealth of (8)s.

Then there’s the Haligtree. It’s a platforming nightmare, but the Knights there drop high-level stones frequently. Honestly, by the time you can reliably farm the Haligtree, you should probably just go kill the Godskin Duo and buy the stones. The duo is a wall for many players, but using sleep pots makes that fight a joke. Sleep them, kill one, wait for the respawn, and you've got your Bell Bearing.

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Real World Tactics: Maxing Out Your Discovery

If you're dead set on a traditional Elden Ring smithing stone farm by killing mobs, you have to optimize your Discovery stat. Every point matters.

• The Silver Scarab Talisman: This is found in the Hidden Path to the Haligtree. It boosts Discovery by 75. It's essential.
• Silver-Pickled Fowl Foot: These are craftable. Use them. They provide a massive temporary boost.
• Silver Mask: If you've done the Varre questline or explored enough, certain masks boost your Arcane.
• Arcane Scaling: If you're a mage or a strength build, you might want to consider using a Larval Tear to respec into Arcane temporarily just to farm, then switch back. It sounds extra, but it saves hours.

The difference between 100 Discovery and 250 Discovery is massive. At 100, a smithing stone might feel like a 1-in-50 drop. At 250, it feels like every fifth guy is dropping one.

Ancient Dragon Stones: The One Thing You Can't Farm

It’s important to manage expectations. You cannot farm Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones or Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones. Period. These are the items that take your weapon to +25 or +10.

There are a finite number of these per playthrough—usually about 13 regular and 8 somber. You find them in places like the very end of Nepheli Loux’s questline, or hidden in the dragon-infested corners of Farum Azula. If you see a guide claiming a "respawning farm" for Ancient stones, they are lying. Don't waste your time looking for a glitch that doesn't exist.

Actionable Steps for Your Next Session

Instead of aimlessly wandering, follow this sequence to get your gear upgraded without the headache:

1. Check your map for Tunnels: They are marked as small, dark-circled holes on the map. Every "Tunnel" dungeon is guaranteed to have smithing stones on the walls.
2. Locate the Bell Bearings: Prioritize the Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel (Liurnia) and the Sealed Tunnel (Altus). These two will cover 90% of your mid-game needs.
3. Farm Runes, Not Stones: Once you have the Bell Bearings, go to the Palace Approach Ledge-Road in Mohgwyn Palace. Use the Sacred Relic Sword (if you've beaten the game) or a bow to bait the bird off the cliff. Use those runes to buy your stones.
4. Use the Iji Shortcut: In West Liurnia, the giant blacksmith Iji sells unlimited Somber 1 and 2, and limited 3 and 4. It’s much faster than farming.
5. Grab the Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing [3] early by sprinting into the Mountaintops of the Giants if you're brave. It unlocks (5) and (6), which are the biggest hurdles for most players.

Basically, the most effective Elden Ring smithing stone farm is one that eventually lets you stop farming altogether. Focus on the Bell Bearings, use your runes wisely, and save the "enemy farming" for when you're truly desperate or looking for a very specific weapon drop that happens to come with a side of stones.