Given that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been out for nearly 15 years, it seems that most dedicated players should have finished even its most complicated quests. Yet one of the reasons fans love Skyrim so much is how vast the open world is, and how many side quests players can collect as they explore that world. Some of those quests are more beloved than others, and one in particular has Skyrim fans debating whether a true completionist run is worth it. As much as we love to joke about Meridia’s “a new hand touches the beacon,” there’s actually a quest item even more annoying to pick up – any of the Jewels of Barenziah.
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The quest centered on these unusual gems is called No Stone Unturned, and it’s a lengthy one. Given that there are twenty-four of these unusual gems, some in relatively easy-to-find locations, most anyone playing through Skyrim will likely pick up at least one. This begins the quest to get the jewel appraised and, eventually, collect all of the Stones of Barenziah. The stones are quest items, meaning they can’t be sold, dropped, or otherwise deleted once they’ve been acquired. Who among Skyrim players doesn’t have at least one save with a chest full of unusual gems waiting to be dealt with?
The near-unavoidable nature of the No Stone Unturned quest leads some players to wonder if it’s worth actually finishing. While some of the stones are quite easy to find, others are well hidden. That means even many longtime players have never actually bothered to track all of them down and are left wondering if they should give it a go the next time they venture out as the Dragonborn.
Is the Skyrim Stones of Barenziah Quest Worth It?
While Elder Scrolls fans continue to wait on Elder Scrolls 6 (and maybe an Elder Scrolls: Oblivion remake), returning to Skyrim is a great way to scratch that itch. However, many players have a tried-and-true way of avoiding an inventory full of Unusual Gems – avoiding them. With 24 stones until completion, it’s easy to quickly clog up your carry weight with those darn stones. Therefore, many seasoned veterans diligently avoid picking up a single Unusual Gem, let alone getting it appraised. As one player puts it “It’s worth collecting all of them just to get them out of your inventory.”
But for those curious few who have traveled across the land searching for the stones, what is the real reward? Yes, the stones are finally free from the inventory, and that No Stone Unturned quest item will finally leave your journal. But then what? After getting every stone, players will then need to track down the crown to mount them on. After all of that work, the reward is… finding more valuable gems in chests. That, and being able to wear the newly reformed crown. While that can add up to a lot of gold, particularly if you’re great at smooth talking the shopkeeps, many don’t really think that makes the quest worthwhile.
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Finding all 24 gems is “a bit of a slog” according to many players. Others note that updates have improved matters from the early days, making some of the impossible to access gems more readily available. For instance, the gem that was once locked in the Thalmor Embassy is now in a nearby, unmarked cave, making it much less quest-locked to access. Players have also released mods over the years that will mark the locations on your map, making it a bit easier to hunt down all 24 if you truly want to see what it feels like to complete the crown.
Another note from a Skyrim fan is that this quest can be worthwhile for early gameplay in a new playthrough. Because of how widespread the gems are, finding them all is a great way to cover the map and unlock a lot of fast travel locations. There are certainly worse ways to make Skyrim more traversable than completing a quest while you do it.
Ultimately, it seems like most players don’t think it’s worth doing the No Stone Unturned quest more than once in most situations. However, every Skyrim fan plays the game differently, and you can certainly become wealthy in gems and fast travel if you do manage to acquire all 24 Stones of Barenziah.
