Stardew Valley, a popular farming simulation game, offers players diverse resources to gather and utilize. Among these resources is Quartz, a fascinating mineral that can be found in various locations, including caves, mines, and even garbage cans.
Known for its clear crystal appearance, Quartz serves multiple purposes and possesses unique properties that make it valuable in various contexts.
Origins of Quartz in Stardew Valley
In Stardew Valley, quartz is a radiant and translucent gemstone that can be found in various locations throughout the game world. It is typically obtained by foraging in the Mines, Skull Cavern, and Quarry.
Properties and Appearance
Quartz is renowned for its distinct appearance and remarkable properties. In the game, Quartz exhibits a clear, glass-like structure.
Its sparkling beauty makes it a sought-after gemstone both in the valley and even in real life. The translucent nature of quartz allows light to pass through it, giving it an enchanting glow.
Where to Find Quartz
The Mines, situated in the northeastern corner of Stardew Valley, provide a prime location for foraging Quartz. As you descend deeper into the mine, be on the lookout for the clear crystal scattered around the floors of the Mines.
Quartz can be extracted by picking them up, helping increase your Foraging XP. The deeper you venture, the higher the chances of finding quartz, among other valuable ores and minerals.
For those seeking an even greater challenge, the Skull Cavern offers an alternative location to find Quartz. Located in the Calico Desert, this cavern presents an even greater opportunity to uncover rare minerals, one of them being Quartz.
Be prepared for tougher enemies and more treacherous terrain as you explore this cavernous expanse.
Garbage Cans
Believe it or not, Quartz can sometimes be discovered in the most unexpected places, such as Garbage Cans in Stardew Valley. While the chances are slim, there is a rare possibility of finding Quartz when rummaging through these seemingly mundane receptacles.
So, next time you come across a Garbage Can during your daily routine roaming in town, give it a quick check, as you might just stumble upon a hidden gem.
Stone Golems
Stone Golems, formidable creatures found within the Floors 31 to 39 in the Mines, pose a challenge to your combat skills and offer a chance to obtain Quartz. When you encounter these imposing foes, defeat them with precision and bravery.
Upon their defeat, there is a 10% possibility that they will drop Quartz, adding to your collection of this valuable resource. Keep your combat skills sharp and your eyes peeled for these stone guardians.
Ghostfish Fish Ponds
Once you have established a Ghostfish Fish Pond, the pond’s population can yield Quartz as it grows. When the population reaches 3, a Ghostfish Fish Pond may produce 1 Quartz with a daily chance of 3 to 6%.
Similarly, when the population reaches 9, it can reward you with 3 Quartz with a daily chance of 10 to 11%. By investing time and effort into developing your Ghostfish Fish Pond, you can create a new source of Quartz for your farming endeavors.
Maximizing Quartz Acquisition
To maximize your chances of finding Quartz, you must equip yourself with sturdy armor and weapons to venture deeper into the Mines or Skull Cavern.
Focusing on lower levels increases the likelihood of coming across quartz nodes. Moreover, consider using bombs or explosive resources to clear away rocks, granting you access to hidden minerals and potential Quartz deposits.
Optimize Mining Efficiency
Efficiency is key when mining for quartz. Follow these tips to maximize your yield:
Defeat enemies
Quartz is loot from Stone Golems when defeated. Gear up well to ensure you can defeat many of these enemies to get more Quartz.
Utilize bombs
Bombs can destroy quartz, so consider using them strategically to easily pick up Quartz tucked away between rocks and nodes.
Use the Staircase
If you’re solely interested in acquiring Quartz, use a Staircase to progress to deeper levels of the mine more rapidly. This strategy bypasses unnecessary mining and allows you to focus on finding quartz-rich areas.
Applications and Uses of Quartz
Quartz is valuable in its raw form serving different uses. This clear crystal, commonly found in caves, mines, and even garbage cans, holds great value for aspiring farmers and adventurers alike.
From smelting it into refined quartz to fulfilling community bundles and crafting valuable items, understanding the applications and uses of quartz is essential for maximizing its potential.
Gifting
Regarding gifting Quartz, different villagers in the town of Stardew Valley have varying reactions. While some villagers like Abigail, Emily, and Maru appreciate receiving Quartz as gifts, others like Clint, Evelyn, and Pierre are not particularly fond of it.
Like: Abigail, Dwarf, Emily, Harvey, Krobus, Leo, Marnie, Maru, Robin, Sandy, Sebastian, Willy, Wizard
Dislike: Clint, Demetrius, Evelyn, Haley, Jas, Jodi, Kent, Leah, Linus, Pam, Penny, Pierre, Sam, Vincent
Hate: Alex, Caroline, Elliot, George, Gus, Lewis, Shane
Understanding these preferences can help players discover where Quartz can build stronger relationships with the villagers and increase their friendship levels.
Bundles
Quartz is crucial in completing the Geologist’s Bundle in the Boiler Room. This bundle requires players to collect specific minerals and artifacts to restore the Community Center and develop the town.
Bundles add an additional layer of objectives and achievements to Stardew Valley, encouraging players to explore different aspects of the game world [1]. By contributing Quartz to this bundle, players can earn rewards and progress in the game.
Tailoring
With the introduction of version 1.4, Quartz gained a new role in the game. Players can now use Quartz in Stardew Valley’s Sewing Machine to create the stylish Gray Vest.
This addition expands the customization options for players, allowing them to create unique clothing items using Quartz as a key ingredient.
Trading
The trading system in Stardew Valley offers exciting opportunities, and Quartz plays a part in this economic exchange. At the Desert Trader in Calico Desert, players can trade 5x Quartz for a powerful Bomb.
This trade provides players with a valuable explosive tool for mining while also giving Quartz a new purpose in the game’s economy.
Decorative Purposes
Apart from its functional applications, Quartz can be used for decorative purposes. Players can use Quartz to add aesthetics to their home when displayed.
Crystalariums, which replicate minerals over time, can help you or as an ingredient for building beautiful pathways, flooring, and fences. Moreover, decorating your farm with Quartz-infused structures adds a touch of elegance and personalization to your surroundings.
Quests
In addition to being a sought-after item, Quartz also finds itself as a potential quest item.
Random requests for Quartz may appear on the “Help Wanted” board outside Pierre’s General Store, offering players the opportunity to earn rewards in the form of gold and Friendship Points with whoever requested it.
Furthermore, Quartz is also involved in Fish Pond quests, where Ghostfish, Crab, Cockle, Lobster, Mussel, or Oysters request Quartz to increase the maximum capacity of their Fish Ponds.
Selling
Though not very expensive, Quartz can be sold through the Shipping Bin or Clint if you want to.
Base Selling Price | Gemologist (+30%) | |
Quartz | 25g | 32g |
Fire Quartz | 100g | 130g |
Crafting
While Quartz is not directly used in crafting recipes, it is an essential ingredient in the smelting process to create Refined Quartz.
Fire Quartz
A red counterpart of Quartz found in the deeper levels of the mines is Fire Quartz. It is found on Floors 80 and beyond, making it a more challenging find than ordinary Quartz.
Other sources of this crystal are by breaking Magma Geodes and Omni Geodes, panning on Stardew Valley’s waters, and as Fishing Treasure Chest items.
Gifting
Unlike its Quartz counterpart, Fire Quartz is surprisingly well-liked by most of Stardew Valley’s villagers, with none having it as a Hated gift when received.
Like: Abigail, Alex, Caroline, Clint, Demetrius, Dwarf, Elliot, Emily, Evelyn, George, Gus, Haley, Harvey, Jas, Jodi, Kent, Krobus, Leo, Lewis, Marnie, Maru, Pam, Penny, Robin, Sam, Sandy, Sebastian, Shane, Vincent, Willy, Wizard
Dislike: Leah, Linus, Pierre
Fire Quartz is a more effective gift in increasing friendship levels with almost all villagers except for a few, making it a bit more valuable than Quartz regarding relationships in the game.
Bundle
One piece of the crystal Fire Quartz is a requirement in the Community Center’s Boiler Room in the Geologist’s Bundle. The reward for completing this bundle is 5x Omni Geodes.
Recipe
It is used in the recipe for Slime Egg Press, received after achieving Combat Level 6. The Slime Egg-Press requires 25x Coal, 1x Fire Quartz, and 1x Battery Pack to be created. This equipment can be used to create a Slime Egg from 100x Slime.
Tailoring
When tailored with 1x Cloth at a Sewing Machine, Fire Quartz will create a Shirt. It can also be used as a red dye for dye pots.
Smelting
Like its less expensive counterpart, Fire Quartz can also be used to smelt into Refined Quartz.
Refined Quartz
Quartz is not only used in its natural form but can also be transformed through the process of smelting.
This process increased the value of the mineral, making it more desirable and useful. Refined Quartz opened up new crafting, construction, and trade possibilities, providing players with valuable resources for their endeavors.
How to Make Refined Quartz
To unlock the potential of quartz, it must undergo a refining process.
Step 1: Gathering Quartz
Before you can create Refined Quartz, you must have Quartz. As mentioned in the earlier part of this article, Quartz can be obtained by foraging in the mines, exploring the Skull Cavern, or even finding it occasionally in garbage cans.
Stone Golems also have a chance of dropping Quartz when defeated. Additionally, if you have a Ghostfish Fish Pond on your farm, the population reaching 3 will grant you 1 Quartz, and reaching 9 will provide 3 Quartz.
So make sure to keep an eye out for Quartz during your adventures and mining expeditions. Though Quartz is mainly used for Refined Quartz, Fire Quartz can also be used, with it yielding more Refined Quartz than the former.
Step 2: Gathering Coal
To smelt Quartz into Refined Quartz, you will need Coal as a fuel source. Coal can be obtained by mining rocks found in the mines or purchasing it from Clint at the Blacksmith shop.
You can also obtain coal by defeating enemies in the Mines, a treasure in fishing, as axed on the dirt, panning, or even purchasable at the Blacksmith or the Travelling Cart. Ensure you have an ample supply of Coal before proceeding to the next step.
Step 3: Using the Furnace
With your Quartz and Coal ready, it’s time to fire up the furnace. Equip the Quartz, put it in the furnace, and then activate the Furnace while having Coal in your inventory.
The Furnace is available once the player has collected a Copper Ore. A cutscene with Clint will play, and Furnace’s recipe source will appear in the Crafting menu.
Each smelting operation requires one coal unit, regardless of the material or duration. Once the furnace is activated, it will consume the coal and begin smelting.
Step 4: Smelting Quartz
The smelting process for quartz takes approximately 1.5 in-game hours. During this time, your furnace transforms the Quartz, smelting it with Coal to turn it into Refined Quartz.
You can monitor the progress by checking the furnace, and once the smelting time has elapsed, the Refined Quartz will be ready for use, and the furnace’s fire is out.
One Refined Quartz is produced per input of 1x Quartz and 1x Coal. Putting in Fire Quartz, however, will yield 3x Refined Quartz while still using 1x Coal for smelting in the furnace.
Refined Quartz from the Recycling Machine
Another way to obtain Refined Quartz is through the Recycling Machine. By using this machine, players can convert unwanted items into useful resources. To create Refined quartz in the recycling machine, the trash that yields it is either a Broken CD or Broken Glass.
The Recycling Machine can be unlocked by reaching Fishing Level 4 or completing the Field Research Bundle on the Community Center’s Bulletin Board.
Uses of Refined Quartz
Refined Quartz has a wide range of applications in Stardew Valley. Refined quartz can also be combined with a cloth to create a fashionable Necklace Shirt.
Selling
Refined Quartz has a higher sell price than regular Quartz, though it’s not a great source of income. Its ability to be created from Quartz into Refined Quartz provides players with a more beneficial way of using it as a valuable resource for economic and creative endeavors.
Selling Price | |
Refined Quartz | 50g |
Quartz | 25g |
Crafting
Refined Quartz is a key ingredient in crafting various essential items. It is essential for crafting various items, including the Crystal Floor, Crystal Path, Garden Pot, Lightning Rod, Quality Sprinkler, Solar Panel, and Farm Computer.
These crafted items provide significant benefits to players, ranging from automated crop irrigation to protection against lightning strikes.
Item Output | Materials Needed | Recipe Guide |
Farm Computer |
| Complete a Special Order from Demetrius (either of the two):
|
Solar Panel |
| Complete “Island Ingredients Special Order” from Caroline |
Quality Sprinkler |
| Reach Farming Level 6 |
Lightning Rod |
| ReachForaging Level 6 |
Garden Pot |
| Received in a cutscene with Evelyn after the Greenhouse has been restored |
5x Crystal Path |
| Purchase from Robin at the Carpenter’s Shop for 200g |
5x Crystal Floor |
| Purchase from Krobus at the Carpenter’s Shop for 500g |
Farm Building
Farm Building | Materials Needed | Tile Footprint |
Slime Hutch |
|
|
Gift Preferences
Refined Quartz has a specific preference among certain villagers in Stardew Valley. For example, Clint appreciates it as a Neutral Gift, but the rest Dislike it, and even Sam Hates it.
Offering Refined Quartz to almost all of the villagers doesn’t help players develop stronger relationships or unlock unique dialogue options, and certainly does not increase their friendship levels.
Quests
Any villager may request The Refined Quartz at the “Help Wanted” board outside Pierre’s, with its completion rewards being money and 150 Friendship points to those who request it.
Fish Ponds may also be requested by the fish occupying them to increase their maximum capacity, increasing their daily production chances.
Bundles
Refined Quartz can also be required at the Community Center Boiler Room (Remixed) bundles. For the Engineer’s Bundle, 5x Refined Quartz is required.
Tailoring
When put in the Sewing Machine with 1x Cloth, Refined Quartz will yield a Necklace Shirt. It can also be used as purple dye on dye pots at Emily and Haley’s house.
Conclusion
Quartz, the mesmerizing gemstone of Stardew Valley, has captivated players with its many uses and enchanting properties. From foraging to crafting essential items and contributing to community bundles, Quartz plays a pivotal role in the game’s progression and building relationships with the valley’s inhabitants.
Its allure extends beyond functionality, allowing players to beautify their farms and create stunning displays. So, venture forth into the mine, gather Quartz, and let its radiance illuminate your path in the delightful world of Stardew Valley.
