A socket is a special slot on an item into which gems can be inserted to provide bonuses similar to those gained from enchanting.
There is currently no way to remove a gem once it has been placed into a socket. You can place another gem in the same socket, but doing so will destroy the existing gem (much like overwriting enchants).
Placing gems in sockets
Gems can be added to sockets in the "Item Socketing" window, which can be opened by holding shift and right clicking on a socketed item. The gems are then dragged into the slots, and the "Socket Gems" button is placed to apply the gems.
Socket types
Sockets are separated into 3 types:
Gems may be placed by anyone into a socketed item via a drag-and-drop interface, invoked by shift-right-clicking the weapon or piece of armor you want socketed.
Colored sockets
The majority of sockets found on equipment are Red, Yellow, and Blue sockets. While any gem can be put in any of these socket types, the item socket bonus will only be activated if all of the sockets are filled with the matching gem color.
With the exception of meta gems, all gems match one or more of these colors.
- Primary-color gems — red, yellow, and blue — will only match into the specific sockets for their color.
- Secondary-color gems — green, orange, and purple — will match into either of the two slots that correspond to their color. (For example, an orange gem will match a red or yellow slot for the bonus.)
- Prismatic gems will match any of the three socket colors.
Uncolored sockets
Prismatic, or uncolored sockets are generally sockets that have been added to an item by blacksmithing skills (or blacksmithed items such as the [Eternal Belt Buckle]). Any gem (except meta gems) may be placed in them.
Uncolored sockets, and any gems they may have, do not count towards any socket bonus an item may have. However, they will count towards any requirements of a meta gem.
Meta sockets
- Main article: Meta gem
Meta sockets are only found on high-end head gear (currently only in particular varieties of head items). Meta sockets only accept meta gems, and meta gems may only be placed in meta sockets.
In addition, if the meta gem's requirements are not met, that meta gem will not be activated, and you will receive neither the meta gem's bonuses nor any socket bonus from the item containing the meta gem. You can socket the meta gem without meeting the requirements, but the meta gem will remain inactive until you do meet its requirements (which can be done either by socketing new gems, or equipping new items containing the required gems).
A meta gem requires you to have currently equipped items socketed with a certain number and color of other gems. These colors can be as either primary or secondary colors (see below) and secondary gems count for both colors. For example, an item with a meta gem socket that requires 2 blue and 1 red gem in order to become active, could be activated by having 2 purple gems or 2 blue and an orange gem.
History
Sockets were introduced in the Burning Crusade expansion and modeled after a similar concept in Diablo II, which used runes instead of gems. Unlike Diablo II, however, gems inserted into sockets in World of Warcraft can be replaced. (UPDATE: it is possible to empty sockets in Diablo II since version 1.10 by following a formula for the Horadric Cube.[1]) The rune word system, which added additional bonuses if a particular set of runes was inserted in a particular order, has not been replicated in WoW — special combinations of gems do not confer any bonuses except the item's pre-defined socket bonus, unless using a meta gem.
As of patch 3.0.2, Blacksmiths will be able to permanently place an (additional) socket on a one-handed weapon, bracer, or glove (making them BoP).[2] [3]
A blacksmith can make a [Eternal Belt Buckle], which can be used by anyone, to add a "prismatic" socket to their belts.
See also
References
External links
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