You've just climbed the hills of West Necluda, your stamina wheel is flashing red, and you finally find her. Isha. She’s the Gerudo jeweler standing in the middle of Gerudo Town, desperate for flint so she can reopen her shop, Starlight Memories. Most players just want to get through the Divine Beast Vah Naboris questline and treat this as a side distraction. But then you see them: breath of the wild amber earrings. At first glance, they look like a fashion statement in a land of ancient mechanical spiders and fire-breathing lizards. You might think, "Why would I waste my hard-earned amber on jewelry when I have a literal suit of knight's armor in my inventory?"
The truth is a bit more nuanced.
Link's journey through Hyrule is basically a giant math problem disguised as a beautiful adventure. Every piece of armor has a hidden value proposition. While everyone chases the flashy Ancient Armor or the Barbarian Set for those sweet attack buffs, the humble amber earrings sit quietly in the shop window. They are the most basic accessory you can buy. Yet, for a huge chunk of the player base, they end up being the most consistent piece of gear in the entire game.
The Math Behind the Shine
Let's talk numbers because Hyrule is surprisingly crunchy under the hood. Most "head" slot items in the game—like the Hylian Hood or the various elemental jewelry pieces—start with a base defense of 2 or 3. The breath of the wild amber earrings start at base 2. That sounds pathetic. You're probably thinking your Soldier’s Helmet is a much better bet.
But wait.
When you start visiting the Great Fairies (Cotera, Mija, Kaysa, and Tera), the scaling changes. Amber is everywhere. You find it under every other rock you flip. Because the upgrade requirements for these earrings primarily rely on amber and flint, you can max them out way faster than almost any other high-tier gear. A fully upgraded set of amber earrings provides a whopping 28 defense.
Twenty-eight.
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To put that in perspective, that is the exact same defensive value as the Diamond Circlet or a fully upgraded Soldier’s Helmet. It’s also significantly higher than the stealth chest or the climbing gear. You're basically wearing a heavy metal plate on your head, but it looks like a subtle gold accessory. It’s the ultimate "sleeper" gear. It doesn't scream "I'm a tank," but it makes Link take hits like one.
Why Aesthetic Matters in a Single Player Game
Honestly, the "fashion souls" aspect of Zelda is real. A lot of players hate the way the heavy helmets look. The Soldier's Helmet makes Link look like a generic grunt. The Ancient Helm? Let's be real—it makes his head look like a weird, glowing traffic cone.
The breath of the wild amber earrings solve the vanity problem. They are practically invisible during gameplay. If you want to see Link’s face during those emotional cutscenes with Zelda or Mipha, but you don't want to get one-shotted by a Silver Lynel, this is your solution. You get the maximum possible defense for the head slot without obscuring Link's iconic hair or facial expressions. It’s a win-win.
Some people argue that the Diamond Circlet is better because it offers Guardian Resistance. Sure. If you’re hunting Guardians in the ruins of Hyrule Castle, wear the diamond. But diamonds are rare. They’re expensive. They’re a pain to farm. Amber? You can’t trip over a pebble in the Eldin region without finding three chunks of amber.
Finding Isha and the Starlight Memories Quest
You can't just find these in a chest in the woods. You have to go to Gerudo Town. This is a bit of a hurdle early on because you need the "vibe" (and the outfit) to get past the guards. Once you're in, head to the jewelry shop. Isha is stressed. She needs 10 pieces of flint.
- Go to the shop on the North side of town.
- Hand over the flint.
- She’ll offer you a choice of one free piece of jewelry: Ruby (Cold Res), Sapphire (Heat Res), or Topaz (Electric Res).
Pro tip: Don't pick the amber earrings as your freebie. Wait, what? Why? Because amber earrings are dirt cheap to buy outright. Use your free choice on the Sapphire Circlet or the Ruby Circlet, which cost way more gems. Then, just buy the amber earrings with a few rupees. It’s the smarter play for your wallet.
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The Upgrade Path: A Resource Breakdown
If you're going to commit to these, you need to know what the Great Fairies are going to ask for. It starts simple and gets progressively more "grindy," but compared to the Star Fragments required for other jewelry, it's a breeze.
For the first tier, you're looking at just a few pieces of amber. By the time you hit the fourth and final upgrade, you’ll need about 60 pieces of amber total. That sounds like a lot until you realize that a single trip through the southern mines or the talus-heavy areas of the Dueling Peaks will net you twenty or thirty.
There is a specific satisfaction in having a 4-star item while you’re still rocking 1-star or 2-star chest pieces. It smooths out the difficulty curve of the mid-game. Suddenly, those Blue Moblins that used to wreck your day are barely tickling you.
Common Misconceptions About Jewelry
A big mistake people make is thinking that jewelry counts as part of a "Set Bonus." In Breath of the Wild, wearing a full set (like the Flamebreaker set) gives you a special bonus, like being "Fireproof."
The breath of the wild amber earrings do not have a set bonus.
They don't belong to any set. This is actually their biggest weakness. If you wear them with the Ancient Armor, you lose the "Ancient Proficiency" damage buff. If you wear them with the Snowquill set, you aren't "Unfreezable."
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But here is the thing: you don't always need a set bonus. Sometimes you just need raw armor. If you’re mixing and matching—maybe the Champion’s Tunic (which has the highest defense in the game) and some Greaves—the amber earrings are the perfect "gap filler." They provide the highest possible defense without locking you into a specific look or set requirement.
The Hidden Value of Early Game Defense
New players often underestimate how much damage mitigation matters. In the early game, Link is fragile. One stray arrow from a Bokoblin can end a run. Most of the early armor you find, like the Hylian Tunic, doesn't offer much protection until it's upgraded multiple times.
The earrings are accessible surprisingly early if you’re willing to make the trek to the desert. And because amber is the most common drop from ore deposits, you're essentially turning "trash" loot into a high-tier defensive wall. It’s the most efficient resource-to-defense conversion in the entire game.
Is It Worth the Inventory Slot?
Absolutely.
I’ve seen people argue that you should just save your amber to sell for rupees. While it’s true that amber is a decent source of income when you’re desperate to buy the house in Hateno Village, the utility of the earrings outweighs the 30-rupee sell price of the raw stones. You can always find more gems. You can't always find a way to survive a Lynel’s charge when you’re caught off guard.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
If you want to make the most of this gear, don't wait until the end of the game. Follow this path:
- Farm Ore Early: Don't sell all your amber. Keep at least 60 in your pockets if you plan to max out the earrings.
- The Flint Shortcut: Collect flint as you explore. You’ll need it to unlock the shop in Gerudo Town anyway.
- Prioritize the Great Fairies: Seek out the Fairy Fountains early. The first two are easy to find near Kakariko and Akkala. Even a 2-star upgrade on the earrings puts you ahead of most early-game enemies.
- Mix and Match: Pair the amber earrings with the Champion's Tunic. This combination gives you some of the highest defense stats possible while keeping Link's "canon" look intact.
The beauty of Hyrule is that there is no "correct" way to play. But if you value a clean aesthetic and high survivability, those small gold hoops are arguably the best investment you can make in the desert. They aren't flashy, and they don't glow, but they'll keep you alive when the Calamity's minions come knocking. Stop ignoring the jewelry shop and start appreciating the power of a well-placed accessory.