Gemcutter’s Prisms are a limited but highly impactful resource in POE 2, and knowing where to spend them can make a noticeable difference in how powerful and smooth your build feels. Because gem quality directly enhances skill performance, poor prioritization can slow your progression, while smart investment can carry you comfortably into the endgame.

Your first and most important priority should always be your primary damage skill. This gem defines your build, your clear speed, and your bossing potential. Many damage gems gain raw damage, increased area of effect, or improved scaling from quality, which translates directly into faster kills and safer encounters. Investing prisms here gives the highest immediate return and should almost never be delayed once your build is locked in.

After your main skill, focus on key support gems that directly amplify damage or efficiency. Support gems often provide multiplicative benefits, and quality can further enhance their effectiveness. Whether it is increased damage bonuses, reduced mana costs, or improved secondary effects, upgrading these supports can feel like a hidden damage multiplier. This step is especially important for builds that rely on multiple interactions rather than a single skill mechanic.

Movement skills are the next major priority. While they may not boost damage numbers directly, quality on movement gems often increases speed, cooldown recovery, or responsiveness. Faster movement improves mapping efficiency, survivability, and overall comfort. In POE 2’s endgame, where positioning and reaction time matter more than ever, smoother movement can save more lives than an extra damage upgrade.

Defensive and utility gems come next. Guard skills, defensive triggers, and reservation-related gems often gain quality bonuses that improve uptime or effectiveness. These upgrades shine in harder content where survivability becomes just as important as damage. Investing prisms here is especially valuable for hardcore players or anyone pushing high-tier bosses.

One common mistake is spreading Gemcutter’s Prisms across too many gems too early. Incremental quality on ten different gems rarely feels impactful. Instead, fully upgrading one or two critical gems provides a clear and noticeable boost. This focused approach also helps you better understand how quality affects your build, making future decisions more informed.

Economic timing also plays a role in prioritization. Early in a league, Gemcutter’s Prisms can be valuable trade assets within the poe 2 currency ecosystem. Some players choose to sell or trade them to stabilize gear before reinvesting later. Others prefer to hold prisms until their final gem setup is complete. There is no single correct answer, but understanding market demand can help you avoid inefficient spending.

Before committing prisms, always review how quality scales on each gem. Some gems gain massive benefits per quality point, while others offer only marginal improvements. Planning ahead prevents wasted resources and helps you decide whether to upgrade now or wait. This becomes even more important if you plan to buy poe 2 currency to accelerate progression, as efficient prism usage maximizes the value of every investment.

Gemcutter’s Prisms reward patience, focus, and planning. By prioritizing your main damage skill, reinforcing it with strong supports, improving movement, and rounding out defenses, you ensure that every prism spent contributes meaningfully to your success in POE 2.