Crystalarium question
- Thread starter NPop
- Start date
Lew Zealand
Helper
Notice that the Crystalarium is pulsing like the other Farm machines (Mayo Machine, Cheese Press). It's processing just like those but it takes a lot longer, usually 2-3 days depending on the Gem. 5 Days for Diamonds! Once you harvest the Gem, it'll immediately start generating another like Elenna101 said. You'll end up with lots of them in no time.
FilthyGorilla
Local Legend
The crystalarium duplicates most gems and minerals over a period of time which changes depending on what you put inside it.
PoppyForPenny
Farmer
To make money with the crystslarium, many people replicate diamonds. It will give a diamond about every 5 days. If you need a lot of earth crystals, it will give one every day. Amethyst is a popular gift, the crystalarium duplicates one about every other day. But jade is probably the most important, because you can trade it for stairs.
FilthyGorilla
Local Legend
Ruby also duplicates fast and can be traded for spicy eel which is like a superior coffee, giving speed, luck, and for a pretty long time.
MissDandy
Farmer
Yes Jade and Ruby are the best ones. Get enough of them and you really don't have to worry about staircases ever again, and if you're an awful cook (like myself), rubies will save you the hassle, time and resources required to cook the spicy eels (a skull cavern deep dive essential) yourself. At the end of the day, if you're getting serious about the game you should have a good number of crystalariums kicking around the old farm producing those gems.
Lew Zealand
Helper
Depending on your financial situation and if you like one-stop shopping (I sure do!), I prefer to set up Crystalariums with:
~5 Ruby to trade for Spicy Eel
~20 (minimum) Jade to trade for Staircases
~10 Quartz to trade for Bombs
Crystalariums are my Skull Cavern kit and one trip to the Desert Trader lady on Sunday will get you everything you need.
Yes you can cook Spicy Eel but regularly Fishing Eels out of Ponds and Harvesting Peppers from your Greeenhouse is WAYYY more effort than just tapping a Crystalarium every couple days.
Grinding for 99 Stone? Ha! No, just no. Every other day another Jade-shaped Staircase falls outta the Crystalarium, just get a bunch of them!
Iron Ore and Coal for Bombs? That grind is awful while Quartz duplicates twice each day! OK, even that's a mild annoyance as they're always waiting for me. Got Quartz comin' out my ears.
~5 Ruby to trade for Spicy Eel
~20 (minimum) Jade to trade for Staircases
~10 Quartz to trade for Bombs
Crystalariums are my Skull Cavern kit and one trip to the Desert Trader lady on Sunday will get you everything you need.
Yes you can cook Spicy Eel but regularly Fishing Eels out of Ponds and Harvesting Peppers from your Greeenhouse is WAYYY more effort than just tapping a Crystalarium every couple days.
Grinding for 99 Stone? Ha! No, just no. Every other day another Jade-shaped Staircase falls outta the Crystalarium, just get a bunch of them!
Iron Ore and Coal for Bombs? That grind is awful while Quartz duplicates twice each day! OK, even that's a mild annoyance as they're always waiting for me. Got Quartz comin' out my ears.
chaskuchar
Planter
how deep do i have to get to find iridium. i need that to build some crystalariums. i have been to skull cave twice and made it out alive. two levels down. i have read hill myna's scull cae guide. that helps...
Lew Zealand
Helper
I usually start seeing individual Iridium nodes around Level 20-30, sometimes earlier.
If you have the money, buy Bombs from the Dwarf to the right of the Mine entrance. That will clear floors in Skull Cavern wayyy quicker so you can find Stairs and Shafts quicker. Also go on a higher Luck day for more Ore node spawns and take a Speed Buff (Coffee) to get around faster. If you want to go deeper to increase the Iridium Node Spawn rate, don't waste time clearing floors of Rocks and Monsters. Clear your immediate area until you get Ladder/Stairs or Shaft down and take it.
But watch out for Flying Serpents!
If you have the money, buy Bombs from the Dwarf to the right of the Mine entrance. That will clear floors in Skull Cavern wayyy quicker so you can find Stairs and Shafts quicker. Also go on a higher Luck day for more Ore node spawns and take a Speed Buff (Coffee) to get around faster. If you want to go deeper to increase the Iridium Node Spawn rate, don't waste time clearing floors of Rocks and Monsters. Clear your immediate area until you get Ladder/Stairs or Shaft down and take it.
But watch out for Flying Serpents!
NPop
Farmhand
Ok so it never occurred to me to just leave the crystalarium alone after the first gem came out. D'oh!
I've been playing the game for a bit and just struggle with so many things to do in every day! Good struggle cause I love it all. Like someone else said I can't seem to get to iridium levels in the cavern so now that I read how gems can help me with so much I'm excited to keep trying!
I've been playing the game for a bit and just struggle with so many things to do in every day! Good struggle cause I love it all. Like someone else said I can't seem to get to iridium levels in the cavern so now that I read how gems can help me with so much I'm excited to keep trying!
FilthyGorilla
Local Legend
If you are using fish ponds, just a couple of lava eel ones will keep you in a good supply of spicy eel.
imnvs
Local Legend
This. I just have lava eel fish ponds for my spicy eel needs... or I make my own with Qi Seasoning. Crystalariums are for jade and diamonds on my farms.
FilthyGorilla
Local Legend
I usually avoid using qi seasoning though I could understand using it on spicy eel for skull cavern. Just wish you could boost speed buffs like you used to…
Lenora Rose
Farmer
Qi seasoning is late game; you'll learn about it after you've been on Ginger Island for quite some time.
Lava eels are the only fish you can get from lava in the deep (regular) mine levels.
You will at some point get a recipe for more crystalariums.
Think of them as more stuff to explore as you play.
Lava eels are the only fish you can get from lava in the deep (regular) mine levels.
You will at some point get a recipe for more crystalariums.
Think of them as more stuff to explore as you play.
Lew Zealand
Helper
As Leonora Rose said, the Crystalarium recipe is one you unlock during the course of playing the game. Keep doing all the typical game things and you will receive the recipe. If you want a small hint: the recipe is unlocked by progressing along a task related to the Crystalarium's function.
I have a thought about the Crystalarium, which I did not understand during many of my earlier playthroughs of Stardew Valley:
The Crystalarium is expensive to make and is not necessarily intended to make you g, though you will recoup your crafting investment in a season if you replicate Diamonds, and less than 1.5 seasons with other valuable gems. Instead, IMO it's best used as a convenience, a time and effort/annoyance saver. To make those Jade, Ruby, and maybe Quartz to barter for Skull Cavern run goodies.
I have a thought about the Crystalarium, which I did not understand during many of my earlier playthroughs of Stardew Valley:
The Crystalarium is expensive to make and is not necessarily intended to make you g, though you will recoup your crafting investment in a season if you replicate Diamonds, and less than 1.5 seasons with other valuable gems. Instead, IMO it's best used as a convenience, a time and effort/annoyance saver. To make those Jade, Ruby, and maybe Quartz to barter for Skull Cavern run goodies.
Last edited:
FilthyGorilla
Local Legend
My answers will be much more straightforward and objectively blunt than the other answers to your questions and you should unspoiler with caution.
1. Lava eels are caught level 100 of the mines or the volcano caldera which is a late game location.
2. Qi seasoning is a material you can buy late game which allows for better dishes when cooking (makes them gold star)
3. Crystalariums can be gotten from donating to the museum (1), the community center 25000 vault bundle (1), skull cavern treasure floors which are a mid game location and largely luck based so it won’t matter, and crafting them from the recipe learnt at level 9 mining for 2 iridium bars, 5 gold bars, 99 stone, and 1 battery.
2. Qi seasoning is a material you can buy late game which allows for better dishes when cooking (makes them gold star)
3. Crystalariums can be gotten from donating to the museum (1), the community center 25000 vault bundle (1), skull cavern treasure floors which are a mid game location and largely luck based so it won’t matter, and crafting them from the recipe learnt at level 9 mining for 2 iridium bars, 5 gold bars, 99 stone, and 1 battery.
NPop
Farmhand
Good grief this game is so extensive. I just go around petting my animals, farming my crops, and buying beer for everyone at the pub. I'm in year 3 and just completed the community center. Sounds like it'll be a loooong time before I hit these "late game" things!
I like the advice to just explore as I play. This forum is the best, thanks for all the info!
I like the advice to just explore as I play. This forum is the best, thanks for all the info!
NPop
Farmhand
Appreciate the spoiler alert!