To max out your weapons in Elden Ring to +25, you’ll need special Smithing Stones, which can be found in mines, dropped by enemies, or purchased endlessly from Gemini Moon-Maiden after handing over 4 Bell Bearings. Gear level has a much greater impact on your damage than character stat leveling. In this guide, we’ve compiled precise resource locations, farming routes, and Bearing maps for the base game and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion on PC, PS5, and Xbox.
Many players spend hours farming common mobs in hopes of dropping the desired reg, although the developers have implemented a much more elegant solution. Why waste time on randomness when you can solve the issue of meeting your basic needs once and for all? The Bell Sphere mechanic allows you to overwhelm the blacksmith Hyuga with resources if you know which tunnels to explore first.
Let’s quickly understand how this system works and where the most valuable consumables are located.
Table of Contents
What Are Smithing Stones and How Do Weapon Upgrades Work?
In the Betweenlands, the entire arsenal is divided into two camps: common weapons and unique ones. Common weapons require standard Smithing Stones (tier 8) and can be upgraded to +25. Special weapons, such as swords from boss souls or unique reliquaries, require Dark Stones (tier 10) and can be upgraded to a maximum of +10.
The initial levels (+3 for common and +1 for special) allow for crafting at any anvil—for example, in the Church of Elle. To advance further, you’ll need to establish contact with the blacksmith Hugues in the Round Table fortress. This stern master surpasses any artisan in the game and is ready to work on your blade to the bitter end.
Leveling scheme:
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Normal weapons: Blacksmith’s Stones [1-8] → Anvil/Hugue → Max +25
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Special weapons: Darkness Stones [1-9] → Hugues only → Max +10
How Many Stones Are Needed to Level a Weapon to +25 and +10
The main mistake beginners make is thinking that each upgrade requires only one item. For regular swords and axes, there is a geometric progression within each tier, but with unique arsenals, everything is much simpler.
| Weapon type | Stone level | Quantity per tier | Final item | Total rune cost (purchase) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | [1] – [8] | 12 of each tier (2, 4, 6) | Ancient Dragon Stone | ~482,000 runes |
| Special (Darkness) | [1] – [9] | 1 per tier | Ancient Grimstone | ~76,000 runes |
To plan your farming route accordingly and avoid wasting runes, keep this math in mind. A full run to upgrade a single standard barrel from 0 to +24 requires exactly 12 stones of each of the eight types.
Where to Find Smithing Stones Levels 1–5 — A Complete Location Guide
Level 1 Smithing Stones
The easiest way to get your first consumables is in the starting region. In the Tomb, head straight to the Limgrave Tunnels—the walls there are literally strewn with yellow runes. Additional pieces can be found near Elle’s Church, on Storm’s Edge, in the Fort Hythe area, and near the Bridge of Saints. There are about 40 of them in a circle, which is more than enough to overwhelm the starting bosses with a beefed-up gunner.
Level 2 Smithing Stones
After the second tier, head to the Weeping Peninsula and Castle Morn. There are about 15 items scattered throughout these lands. Be sure to clear Storm Curtain Castle: the bypass paths and the corpses of storm hawks provide excellent supplies for upgrading cannons to +6.
Level 3 Smithing Stones
We move on to Lake Liurnia. The main vein is the Crystal Tunnel of the Academy. While you’re at it, check out the Ruins of Laskyar and the bypass balconies of the Academy of Lucaria’s Paradise itself. If you explore the area properly, upgrading to +9 won’t be a problem at all.
Level 4 Smithing Stones
Here you’ll have to contend with a harsh climate. Seven of these are found in Gael’s Tunnel on the border of the Graveyard and the Starry Wastes. The next stop is the Ruin-Strewn Cliff, where 9 to 13 more treasured stones are hidden in the mines. Additional resources can be found on the southern shore of the Aeonia Swamp.
Level 5 Smithing Stones
For Tier 5, you’ll have to fight your way higher. We’ll get about 8 in Sellia’s Crystal Tunnel, and another 6 in Altus’s Tunnel. Check out the Shadow Keep and Sealed Tunnel, where another dozen of the required crystals are marked on the walls.
Tier 6-8 Smithing Stones: Best Farming Spots by Region
High-tier consumables aren’t scattered along the road, and the chance of them dropping from regular monsters is extremely low. It’s easier to rely on fixed stashes in later locations.
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Tier 6: Vulcan’s Manor on Mount Gelmir and the Ruins of Zamora. Be sure to search the basement of the snowy ruins to shorten your search.
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Level 7: Dropped by the Falling Star Beast or collected manually in the Underdark (Ansel River, Noxtella) and in the Giant’s Peaks.
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Level 8: Crystals of this class can be found in the Giant’s Peaks (for example, Yellow-Anix Tunnel) and in Farum Azul near the outpost at the Crooked Bridge.
Editor’s tip: Don’t waste hours grinding level 6-8 stones from knights. It’s much more efficient to run through the story and collect the Bell Spheres—it’ll save you a lot of hassle.
All Blacksmith Bell Bearings: Infinite Purchase of Stones
Handing in spheres to the handmaidens at the Round Table replaces the endless farming with the standard purchase of runes.
Unlock Overview:
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[Bearing 1] (Academy) → Stones [1][2]
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[Bearing 2] (Altus) → Stones [3][4]
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[Bearing 3] (Zamora) → Stones [5][6]
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[Bearing 4] (Farum) → Stones [7][8]
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Miner’s Bell Bearing [1]: Awarded for defeating the Crystalian boss in the Crystal Tunnel of Lucaria’s Paradise Academy. Unlocks levels 1 and 2.
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Miner’s Bell Bearing [2]: Hidden in a chest behind an illusory wall in the Sealed Tunnel (Altus Plateau). Unlocks levels 3 and 4.
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Miner’s Bell Bearing [3]: Found in a chest in the basement of the Zamora Ruins in Giant’s Peak. Unlocks levels 5 and 6.
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Miner’s Bell Bearing [4]: Dropped by the mandatory boss, Divine Peel Duet, in the Crumbling Farum Azul. Unlocks levels 7 and 8.
Dark Stones — Where to Find and How to Buy
Special stones are required in single copies per level, making life much easier for those who love rare artifacts.
The first two levels of Dark Stones can be purchased without restrictions from the blacksmith Idzhi on the way to the Kariya Estate. For the remaining levels, there are also 5 Dark Bell Bearings:
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[1]: Sellia’s Crystal Tunnel (Beast of the Falling Star).
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[2]: Altus’s Tunnel (Crystalian Duet boss).
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[3]: Corpse at the entrance to Marika’s First Church.
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[4]: Farum-Azula, near the “Balcony Overlooking the Storm” sanctuary.
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[5]: Abandoned Temple in the lower level of Farum-Azula.
Ancient Dragonsmith Stones — All Locations in the Base Game and Shadow of the Erdtree
The final artifacts raise stats to the absolute maximum (+25 and +10). You can’t acquire them infinitely; their number is strictly limited per playthrough.
There are 13 regular Ancient Dragonsmith Stones and 8 Dark Ancient Dragonsmith Stones scattered throughout the main game. They are awarded for completing personal quests (Nefeli Lu, Sellena, Jerren, Lathenn), as well as for exploring secret zones—the Sacred Tree of Mikella, the Mogwin Palace, and Farum Azula.
In the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, the developers added 8 more regular and 6 Dark Ancient Dragonsmith Stones. They can be found in the following locations in the Shadow World:
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Dragon Pit Dungeon: After defeating the Ancient Dragon.
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Azure Coast Location: At the foot of the shrines.
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Enir-Ilim Region: In the final towers.
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Berry Peak: Rewards for defeating named winged beasts.
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions About Blacksmith Stones
Is it possible to buy absolutely all stones infinitely?
Almost yes. The only exception is Ancient Dragonstones (common and gloomy) – their quantity is fixed for each playthrough.
Do Bell Bearings carry over to New Game+?
Yes, starting with early patches, the developers have made it so that the spheres and inventory found at the Twins carry over to New Game+. You won’t have to collect them again.
What should I do if I don’t have enough runes to buy them?
Use known farming spots, like the steep descent in Mogwin Palace, with area-of-effect spells – this will allow you to accumulate 500,000 runes in literally five minutes.
Collect Bell Spheres first, as this step will completely eliminate the need to vacuum every cave in the late game. Which weapon did you decide to push into the absolute top first? Share your builds and favorites in the comments!
