Gem socket

A gem socket is a socket in a gem which can have another type of gem socketed into it to modify the original gem.

Mechanics

Skill gems can be socketed with support gems. Meta gems can be socketed with skill gems.

Skill gems can have 2-5 sockets. The number of sockets can be increased with Jeweller's Orbs. They may colloquially be referred to as "links" instead (terminology from Path of Exile), in which case they would be considered 3-6 linked skills or gems.

Skills granted by items and passive skills

Skills not granted by a skill gem cannot gain sockets from Jeweller's Orbs. These include:

• Granted skills from items
• Granted skills from passive skills (e.g. Ascendancy notables)
• Default attacks

Default attacks, skills from passive skills, and certain item inherent skills such as Spear ThrowSpear ThrowAttack, AoE, Projectile, Barrageable
Level: (1-20)
Attack Speed: 70% of base
Attack Damage: (125-390)% of baseRequires: SpearHurl your Spear with force. Consumes a Frenzy Charge if you have one to cause the Spear to explode at the end of its flight.Explosion
Attack Damage: (232–724)% of base
Explosion radius is 2 metresSkills can be managed in the Skills Panel. instead gain levels and sockets based on the player's character level.

Character level skill scaling

Character Level	Skill Level	Sockets
1	1	2
3	2	2
6	3	2
10	4	2
14	5	2
18	6	2
22	7	2
26	8	2
31	9	2
36	10	3
41	11	3
46	12	3
52	13	3
58	14	3
64	15	4
66	16	4
72	17	4
78	18	4
84	19	4
90	20	5

Other item granted skills, such as those granted by caster weapons or unique items, have a level that is determined when the item drops. It is not possible to directly increase an item skill's sockets or levels; the only way to have an improved version of the skill is to find a new, higher item level version of the base type or unique item. This will also usually increase the item's level and attribute requirements. Skills granted by items of level 62 or higher will have a random level within a range determined by the item level - this may result in the item having a higher required level than its item level. Skills granted this way have their socket count determined by the level of the granted skill.

Item level skill scaling

Skill Level	Item level range	Sockets
1	1-2	2
2	3-5	2
3	6-9	2
4	10-13	2
5	14-17	2
6	18-21	2
7	22-25	2
8	26-30	2
9	31-35	2
10	36-40	3
11	41-45	3
12	46-51	3
13	52-57	3
14	58-69	3
15	62-73	4
16	66-77	4
17	70-81	4
18	74-84	4
19	78+	4
20	80+	5

Version history

Version	Changes
0.3.0	Items with inherent Skills can now rarely drop with Skill levels up to level 20 in high-tier Maps. Character level scaling skills gain 3 and 4 sockets have been changed to character level 36 (from 40) and 64 (from 65) respectively. Item level scaling skills gain them at ilvl 36 and 62 respectively.[Undocumented]
0.1.0	Introduced to the game.