You’re staring at that shiny new legendary weapon you just looted from a boss in Elden Ring. It’s got a cool name, a flashy skill, and the potential to absolutely melt health bars. But there’s a problem. It’s +0. To make it viable in the late-game hellscape of Miquella’s Haligtree or Crumbling Farum Azula, you need Somber Smithing Stones. Not just one or two, but a whole stack of them. You check your inventory. You have plenty of [1]s and [2]s, but you’re bone dry on [7]s. Now you’re faced with a choice: do you spend three hours scouring dark caves hoping to find a single glowing item on a corpse, or do you hunt down a Somber Stone Bell Bearing and just buy the damn things?
Honestly, the choice is easy.
The Somber Stone Bell Bearing system is basically the game’s way of rewarding exploration with permanent convenience. Once you hand these items over to the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold, they stop being rare treasures and start being commodities. You can just farm some runes, walk up to the shop, and walk away with enough stones to max out three different weapons. But FromSoftware didn't make finding them easy. They’re tucked away in some of the most dangerous corners of the Lands Between.
The Hunt for Somberstone Miner's Bell Bearing [1] and [2]
Early game is all about momentum. If you're stuck with a +2 weapon when you should have a +4, every boss feels like a brick wall. The first Somber Stone Bell Bearing (the [1] variant) is actually pretty easy to miss if you aren't a completionist. It’s dropped by the Fallingstar Beast in the Sellia Crystal Tunnels.
Caelid is a nightmare. We all know this. The red rot, the giant dogs, the crows—it’s a lot. But the Sellia Crystal Tunnels are particularly annoying because of those Pests that shoot homing threads at you. The Fallingstar Beast at the end is a kinetic, aggressive fight. Once you kill it, you get the ability to buy Somber Smithing Stones [1] and [2]. This covers your weapon upgrades up to +2. It's a massive power spike for the early game.
Then there's the [2] bearing. This one is in the Altus Plateau. You need to head to the Altus Tunnel. It’s a dungeon filled with miners, but the real prize is at the end: a duo fight against a Crystalian (Spear) and a Crystalian (Ringblade).
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Pro tip: bring a strike weapon. Seriously. If you try to poke these guys with a rapier, you’re going to be there all day. Once their "armor" cracks, they melt. Beating them nets you the bearing for Somber Smithing Stones [3] and [4]. Now you’re looking at a +4 weapon, which is plenty to handle most of the mid-game content like Volcano Manor or the outskirts of Leyndell.
Jumping to the Mid-Game: Bearing [3]
This is where things get a bit more "hidden." You won't find the third Somber Stone Bell Bearing at the end of a standard mine. Instead, you have to venture into the First Church of Marika. This is located in the Mountaintops of the Giants.
The Mountaintops are a massive difficulty spike. The enemies hit harder, the visibility is garbage because of the snow, and everything feels lonely. The church is on the eastern side of the frozen lake. Look for a corpse sitting outside the front of the church ruins. That’s your target. No boss fight this time, just a grim discovery. Handing this in lets you buy Somber Smithing Stones [5] and [6].
By the time you reach this area, your weapon should probably already be +6 or +7 if you’ve been diligent, but having the ability to buy these stones is vital if you want to experiment with different builds. Maybe you’re tired of your Moonveil and want to try the Rivers of Blood. Without this bearing, you’d be stuck grinding.
The Late-Game Grind: Bearings [4] and [5]
If you’ve made it to Crumbling Farum Azula, congratulations. You’re in the endgame. This floating city is a chaotic mess of dragons and beastmen, but it also houses the final two bell bearings.
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The fourth Somber Stone Bell Bearing is near the Tempest-Facing Balcony site of grace. You’ll see a corpse slumped over the edge of a cliff. Pick it up, and you can now buy Somber Smithing Stones [7] and [8]. This is huge. [7]s are notoriously hard to find in the open world, often guarded by those terrifying Hand-spiders in the Mountaintops. Being able to buy them for 16,000 runes a pop is a godsend.
The final one, the [5] bearing, is further into Farum Azula.
After you get past the Godskin Duo (everyone's favorite fight, right?), you’ll eventually find a path leading toward the Beside the Great Bridge site of grace. In a small room near the lift that leads down to the area where you fight Dragonlord Placidusax, there’s a corpse. Grab the bearing. This unlocks Somber Smithing Stone [9].
Wait, what about [10]?
The game draws a hard line at the final upgrade level. You can never buy Ancient Dragon Somber Smithing Stones. Those are limited per playthrough. You have to find them as loot or finish specific questlines, like Latenna’s or Sellen’s. Use them wisely.
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Why Some People Struggle to Find Them
A common mistake is thinking all bearings are in "Miner's Caves." While the regular Smithing Stone bearings are almost always in tunnels, the Somber Stone Bell Bearing locations are more varied. One is a boss drop, one is a chest/corpse find in a church, and two are just sitting out in the open in a late-game legacy dungeon.
It’s also easy to get turned around in the Altus Tunnel. Many players walk right past the entrance because it’s tucked away in the forest valley below the main plateau. If you’re following the main road to the capital, you’ll miss it entirely.
Understanding the Economics of Upgrading
Let’s talk runes. Buying these stones isn't cheap.
- Somber [1]: 2,000 Runes
- Somber [9]: 25,000 Runes
To take a weapon from +0 to +9 using only purchased stones costs a total of 97,000 runes. That sounds like a lot, but by the time you're in Farum Azula, a single run through a high-level area can net you that much in ten minutes. It’s almost always faster to farm runes at the Mohgwyn Palace approach (the famous bird-shooting or Albinauric-cleaving spot) than it is to hunt for individual stones in the world.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
If you want to optimize your character efficiently, follow this checklist. Don't wander aimlessly.
- Hit Caelid Early: Even if you’re underleveled, you can sprint through the Sellia Crystal Tunnels. The Fallingstar Beast is tough, but manageable if you use Spirit Ashes to distract it. This gets you to +2 immediately.
- The Altus Shortcut: Instead of fighting through the Ruin-Strewn Precipice, use the Dectus Medallion. Once you’re on the plateau, head straight for the Altus Tunnel to get the [2] bearing.
- Don't Ignore the Frozen Lake: In the Mountaintops, most people rush to the Fire Giant. Stop at the First Church of Marika. It’s a 30-second detour that saves you hours of grinding later.
- Farum Azula Scavenging: When you arrive at the Tempest-Facing Balcony, look down. Don't just run toward the next grace. The fourth bearing is right there.
- The Final Push: Before you start New Game Plus, make sure you have all five bearings. They carry over to your next journey. If you don't get them now, you’ll have to wait until you reach the endgame again to buy high-level stones.
Stock up on stones before you burn the Erdtree or finish the game. Once you start a new journey, you’ll keep the ability to buy them, but you’ll be short on runes in the early stages. Having a chest full of stones is the best way to ensure your next build experiment doesn't stall out at the first major boss.