Prismatic Shard
| Prismatic Shard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Mineral |
| Location | Mining; Fishing Treasure Chests; Monsters' drop; Omni Geodes; Rainbow Trout Fish Ponds; Treasure room; Statue Of True Perfection; Meteorite; Mystery Box; Golden Mystery Box; Prismatic Butterfly |
| Sell Price | 2000g |
The Prismatic Shard is the most valuable gem in Stardew Valley and one of its rarest items. Its most famous use is the Galaxy Sword, which a shard unlocks at the Three Pillars in the Calico Desert. Shards also add random enchantments to tools and weapons at the Forge, and they can complete the Missing Bundle that opens the Movie Theater. As a gift, a Prismatic Shard is loved by every villager except Haley, who hates it. Because shards are so hard to find, each one is worth planning for.
The in-game description reads: A very rare and powerful substance with unknown origins.
Location
Mystic Stones are the best regular way to find shards. These rare stones appear on the deepest floors of The Mines, in the Skull Cavern, in the Quarry and in the Volcano Dungeon. Each one has a one in four chance to drop a Prismatic Shard. A meteorite that lands on the Farm has the same chance.
Iridium Nodes in the Skull Cavern, the Quarry and the Volcano Dungeon drop shards a few percent of the time. Treasure rooms in the Skull Cavern can also hold one.
Omni Geodes can hold a shard at roughly one chance in two hundred and fifty. That only begins after at least fifteen geodes of any kind have been cracked. Mystery Boxes and Golden Mystery Boxes carry a similar small chance.
Monsters drop shards very rarely. Serpents and Mummies have the best odds among them. Shadow Brutes and Shadow Shamans drop them less often. Wilderness Golems and Iridium Golems can drop one once Combat level 10 is reached. After the bottom of The Mines has been reached, every monster has a tiny chance to drop a shard.
A Rainbow Trout Fish Pond with nine or more fish can produce a shard now and then. Fishing Treasure Chests can contain one too, but the chance is very small.
Two ways are certain. A chest at the top of the Volcano Dungeon holds one shard the first time the summit is reached. The Statue of True Perfection gives one shard every day, but it is only available after reaching full Perfection. At the Desert Festival, Emily sometimes runs a shop that sells a shard for Calico Eggs.
Prices
A Prismatic Shard sells for more than any other gem, at nearly three times the price of a Diamond. With the Gemologist profession from Mining level 10, the shard sells for thirty percent more on top. Even so, selling a shard is rarely the best choice, since its uses are hard to replace.
A Crystalarium refuses Prismatic Shards. The Lost Book named Technology Report! explains that the shard interferes with the machine. That makes each shard a one-off, unlike Diamonds or Jade, which can be copied.
Uses
The Galaxy Sword comes first for most players. Holding a shard and stepping onto the centre tile between the Three Pillars in the Calico Desert turns the shard into the sword. The Galaxy Sword is a big step up for the Skull Cavern, which is where most later shards are found.
At the Forge on the summit of the Volcano Dungeon, or at a Mini-Forge, a Prismatic Shard adds a random enchantment to a tool or a weapon. Once the Galaxy Sword is in hand, spare shards can keep going to the Forge.
The Missing Bundle in the abandoned JojaMart accepts a Prismatic Shard as one of its options. Finishing that bundle opens the Movie Theater. The bundle offers other options too, so the shard can be kept for another use.
Mr. Qi's Four Precious Stones quest asks for four Prismatic Shards. On Thursdays, the Desert Trader sells one Magic Rock Candy for three shards. In multiplayer, a Wedding Ring crafted from five Iridium Bars and one shard lets one farmer propose to another. The Wedding Ring recipe is sold at the Traveling Cart.
The Sewing Machine turns a shard and Cloth into one of several prismatic clothing pieces, chosen at random. Duplicates can appear before the full set has been made. Placing a shard in a Junimo Hut makes the Junimos shimmer with rainbow colours when they come out to harvest.
The Dark Shrine of Selfishness in the Witch's Hut takes a Prismatic Shard to turn the farm's children into doves. That removes them for good.
Donating the first shard to Gunther at the museum adds it to the mineral collection.
Crafting Prismatic Shard with the other materials below makes these items.
| Item | Image | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding Ring | 
|
Iridium Bar (5), Prismatic Shard (1) |
The Community Center asks for Prismatic Shard in these bundles.
| Bundle | Room | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Missing Bundle | Abandoned JojaMart | 1 |
Gifts
Abigail, Alex, Caroline, Clint, Demetrius, the Dwarf, Elliott, Emily, Evelyn, George, Gus, Harvey, Jas, Jodi, Kent, Krobus, Leah, Leo, Lewis, Linus, Marnie, Maru, Pam, Penny, Pierre, Robin, Sam, Sandy, Sebastian, Shane, Vincent, Willy and the Wizard love the Prismatic Shard.
Haley hates it. Giving her a shard costs friendship instead of earning it.
A shard given on a villager's birthday counts eight times as much as on a normal day. Given its rarity, a shard makes the most sense as a birthday gift.
Notes
Spend the first shard on the Galaxy Sword. It makes the Skull Cavern far easier, and the Skull Cavern is where Mystic Stones, Iridium Nodes and treasure rooms supply later shards.
Lucky days help when hunting shards. Luck raises the chance of Mystic Stones appearing in The Mines and the Skull Cavern, and of finding treasure rooms in the Skull Cavern.
All Gems
Every entry in this group, with its key details.
| Name | Image | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Amethyst | 
|
100g |
| Aquamarine | 
|
180g |
| Diamond | 
|
750g |
| Emerald | 
|
250g |
| Jade | 
|
200g |
| Prismatic Shard | 
|
2000g |
| Ruby | 
|
250g |
| Topaz | 
|
80g |