Let’s be real for a second. If you’re playing Skyrim and you’ve stumbled upon a "Strange Gem," you’ve basically just signed up for the most frustrating, rewarding, and borderline obsessive scavenger hunt in RPG history. Most players find one in the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary or tucked away in Dragonsreach and think, "Oh, a collectible!"
Then you talk to Vex in the Ragged Flagon.
Suddenly, you’re tasked with finding 24 of these things. No quest markers. No hints. Just a vague sense of dread and a very cluttered quest log. Finding a reliable location of stones of barenziah map or a breakdown that actually makes sense is the only way to keep your sanity. Most people give up halfway through because they realize some of these stones are locked behind massive questlines or expensive real estate.
It's a grind. It really is.
Why the Crown of Barenziah is Actually Worth the Headache
You might be wondering why anyone bothers. Honestly, the reward—Prowler’s Profit—is game-breaking in the best way possible. Once you complete the Crown, nearly every urn, chest, and burial jar in Skyrim starts spitting out flawless diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. You’ll be so rich that gold ceases to have meaning. You become the Mansa Musa of Skyrim.
But getting there is a nightmare because of how the stones are distributed. You can't just run around the map and grab them in an hour. Some are in the middle of the woods; others require you to become the leader of the College of Winterhold or shell out 25,000 gold for a house in Solitude.
The Major Cities: Where to Start Your Search
Most of the stones are hiding in plain sight within the hold capitals. If you're looking at a location of stones of barenziah map, you'll notice a huge cluster in Whiterun, Solitude, and Markarth.
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Whiterun and the Surrounding Tundra
In Whiterun, you’ve got two fairly easy grabs. One is in the Hall of the Dead. You’ll find it in the catacombs, tucked into a wall niche near a skeleton. It’s creepy but straightforward. The second is in Kodlak Whitemane’s quarters inside Jorrvaskr. You don't even have to be a high-ranking Companion to snag it, though sneaking helps if you don't want a bounty.
Then there’s Fellglow Keep. It’s northeast of Whiterun. You’ll likely head here during the College of Winterhold quest "Hitting the Books." The stone is sitting on a counter in the workroom. Don't miss it, or you’ll have to fight through respawned mages just to get back in there later.
Solitude’s High-End Heists
Solitude is home to three stones, but they aren't all easy to get. The first is in Blue Palace, specifically in Elisif’s quarters. It’s just sitting on a bedside table. Easy.
The second is in Proudspire Manor. This is the kicker. You have to buy the house. That costs 25,000 gold. You also have to do a favor for the Jarl (cleaning out Wolfskull Cave) before she even lets you buy the place. It’s a steep entry fee for a single collectible.
The third is on the Dainty Sload. It's a ship docked lighthouse-adjacent. You’ll find the stone in the captain’s quarters. Watch out for the Corsairs; they aren't friendly.
The "Lock-Out" Stones: Missable and Quest-Gated Locations
This is where the location of stones of barenziah map gets complicated. Back in the original 2011 release, one stone was inside the Thalmor Embassy. If you didn't grab it during "Diplomatic Immunity," you were basically locked out of the quest forever without console commands. Bethesda eventually patched this, moving the stone to Reeking Cave nearby, but the trauma remains for veteran players.
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The College of Winterhold
You have to join the mages. There’s no way around it. The stone is in the Arch-Mage’s Quarters. You can either progress the questline until you become Arch-Mage, or you can try to sneak in early if you're feeling spicy. It’s on a shelf near the bed.
The Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary
This is the one that trips people up. If you decide to destroy the Dark Brotherhood instead of joining them, you can still get the stone. It’s in Astrid’s room (or the room that would be hers). If you’re a member, just walk in and grab it. If you’re an assassin hunter, grab it over the corpses of your enemies.
Wilderness Crawls and Dungeon Diving
Outside the cozy walls of the cities, the stones are guarded by some of the nastiest stuff in the game. Hagravens, Necromancers, and Falmer. Lots of Falmer.
- Glenmoril Coven: Northwest of Falkreath. It’s in the first chamber. You’ll probably come here for the Companions questline to cure lycanthropy.
- Pinewatch: This looks like a boring shack near Helgen. It isn't. There’s a secret basement leading to a massive bandit sanctuary. The stone is in the "Bandit Sanctuary" section, behind a locked wooden door.
- Ansilvund: Located in the Eastmarch volcanic tundra. This place is a drag. It’s a long dungeon filled with traps and a boss named Lu'ah Al-Skaven. The stone is on a table near the end of the burial chambers.
- Sunderstone Gorge: West of Whiterun. This is a fire-mage den. It’s dangerous. The stone is on the altar in front of the Word Wall.
The Forsworn Problem
Markarth has two. One is in the Understone Keep, in the Dwemer Museum. You’ll have to pick a lock or do a favor for Calcelmo to get in. The other is in Treasury House, in Thonar Silver-Blood’s bedroom.
Then there’s Dead Crone Rock. This is south of Markarth. You’ll end up here during the "Pieces of the Past" quest for the Mehrunes' Razor. The stone is right next to the Word Wall at the very top.
Common Misconceptions About the Quest
People often think you can find these gems and sell them. You can't. They stay in your inventory as "Strange Gems" until you talk to Vex and have them identified. Once identified, they stack, which actually makes your inventory look a lot cleaner.
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Another myth? That there are more than 24. There aren't. There are exactly 24. If your location of stones of barenziah map shows 25, it’s lying to you or counting the Crown itself as a separate entity.
Also, you cannot finish this quest without joining the Thieves Guild. It’s literally impossible. Even if you find all 24, Vex is the only NPC who can progress the quest to the final stage: retrieving the actual Crown from Tolvald’s Cave.
The Final Stretch: Tolvald's Cave
Once you’ve suffered through the 24 locations, you have to go to Tolvald’s Cave. This is a multi-level dungeon crawling with Falmer and Chaurus. It's located in the Rift, near the border of Morrowind.
It's a slog.
You’ll find the Crown on the remains of a caravan. Bring it back to Vex, and she’ll mount the stones on the gold frame. It’s actually a beautiful piece of gear, though you can’t wear it. It sits on a bust in the Thieves Guild as a trophy. But the real prize is that permanent buff.
Actionable Strategy for Efficient Collecting
If you want to finish this without spending 40 hours wandering aimlessly, follow this specific order. It minimizes backtracking and hits the stones when you're already in the area for main quests.
- Start in Whiterun: Grab the Hall of the Dead and Jorrvaskr stones immediately.
- The Mage Path: Join the College of Winterhold early. Grab the Fellglow Keep stone and the Arch-Mage Quarters stone during the first few missions.
- The Thief/Assassin Loop: Join the Thieves Guild to identify the stones. While in the Rift, hit Black-Briar Lodge (it's in the master bedroom upstairs) and Mistveil Keep (Jarl's chambers).
- The Solitude "Rich" Check: Do the "The Man Who Cried Wolf" quest to earn the right to buy Proudspire Manor. Grab the Blue Palace and Dainty Sload stones while you're saving up the 25k gold.
- Clean Up the Caves: Use a dedicated map to hit the wilderness spots like Hob's Fall Cave (between Dawnstar and Winterhold) and Rannveig's Fast (south of Morthal).
Completing this quest is a rite of passage for Skyrim players. It’s the difference between a casual playthrough and a completionist run. Once you have Prowler's Profit, the economy of the game breaks, and you can focus on building your houses and enchanting your legendary gear without ever worrying about a gold piece again.
Pro Tip: If you're on PC or using mods on console, there are mods that add quest markers for these stones. If you feel like using markers is "cheating," consider it "preserving your sanity" instead. But if you’re a purist, keep your location of stones of barenziah map open in a tab and check them off one by one. You’ll get there. Eventually.