Path of Exile 2 gives you a lot of flexibility to maximize your skills and experiment with builds. One of the best ways to level up your power is by adding Support Gems to your Skill Gems that can increase your skill abilities in great ways by adding extra effects. But at the start of the game, for every Skill Gem you equip have the support of a maximum of only two Support Gem slots. To get the best out of skills, you need to figure out how to add more slots. Don’t worry—we’ve got your back. This guide tells how to increase Support Gem sockets in Path of Exile 2.
How to Add More Support Gem Slots in PoE 2
To add more Support Gem sockets to a Skill Gem or increase its capacity, you need a special item called a Jeweler’s Orb. These orbs add more slots to your Skill Gems so you can socket extra Support Gems. But there is something you need to clarify, Jeweler’s Orbs come in three types:
- Lesser Jeweler’s Orb: Adds the 3rd Support Gem socket.
- Greater Jeweler’s Orb: Adds the 4th Support Gem socket.
- Perfect Jeweler’s Orb: Adds the 5th Support Gem socket.
For now, there’s no 6th slot in the game. Each orb can only be used once, and you need to unlock slots in order—no skipping tiers. That means you’ll have to use a Lesser Orb before you can move on to Greater or Perfect Orbs. As orbs are not usable twice in Path of Exile 2 so you need to hunt for them as much as you need and unfortunately, these also come in the rarest drops list of the game.
How to Get Jeweler’s Orbs in Path of Exile 2
Jeweler’s Orbs, especially the Lesser variant, start dropping in Act 3. You can find them from normal enemy drops, rare mobs (those with yellow names), and bosses. Tough bosses with the big health bars have the best drop rates so if you’re farming, remember which ones were easy to beat and keep farming the same zones consistently.
To speed up the process, you can reset zones by shift-clicking on a location to create a new instance. This respawns enemies and bosses, giving you more chances to snag a Jeweler’s Orb.
While farming for Jeweler’s Orbs is the most direct method, you can also obtain them through vendor recipes or by trading with other players. If you have enough in-game currency (like Exalted Orbs), you can even buy Jeweler’s Orbs from other players. Remember, the Greater and Perfect Jeweler’s Orbs are extremely rare and come with jaw-dropping price tags. A Perfect Jeweler’s Orb can cost over 140 Exalted Orbs in trade.
How to Get Support Gems in Path of Exile 2
Support Gems are important items as the name includes ‘support’, they give an extra amp to your Skill Gems. They add effects like increased damage, extra projectiles, or even new mechanics to your abilities.
- Uncut Support Gems: These are raw gems you can turn into useful Support Gems through the Gemcutting menu. You’ll get your first one from a quest in Act 1, but after that, they’re a little harder to come by.
- Farm Rares and Bosses: Rare enemies and bosses are the best sources of Uncut Support Gems.
- Quests and Side Quests: Many quests reward you with Uncut Support Gems. Before accepting a quest, check the reward preview under the NPC’s portrait to find out if you will receive Uncut Gem after completing the mission.
Tip: Higher-level zones and Acts generally yield better-quality Support Gems, so as you progress, your farming efficiency improves too.
Support Gems are a necessity in PoE 2 as they largely increase your damage, utility, and overall build abilities. They can let your fireball split into five balls or if you want a melee attack to chain lightning, you can do it.
Many players give priority to maxing out their main skill gem, as it’s the cornerstone of their build. But some high-level builds need many Skill Gems for max Support Gem slots—it’s especially true with the use of different skills for bossing and general mapping. There are main skills variants for different builds and you need to see what skills you should upgrade depending on your build.
