---
key: mechanic/rpg-grind--gem-rune-upgrades
type: mechanic
id: rpg-grind--gem-rune-upgrades
lang: en
title: Gem and rune upgrading
summary: >-
A gem has its own progression rank. Diablo III’s Urshi upgrades Legendary Gems
after Greater Rifts; the image is from the historical 2014 patch 2.1 preview.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/rpg-grind--gem-rune-upgrades/'
jsonUrl: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/rpg-grind--gem-rune-upgrades.json
markdownUrl: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/rpg-grind--gem-rune-upgrades.md
aliases: []
tags:
- RPG grinding
- Equipment upgrades
sourceIds:
- source-34a5d0621fe87736
sources:
- id: source-34a5d0621fe87736
title: Diablo III (2014 preview)
url: >-
https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/15317478/patch-2-1-0-preview-greater-rifts
verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
- catalogId: rpg-grind
id: gem-rune-upgrades
title: RPG grinding
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/rpg-grind/#gem-rune-upgrades'
categoryIds:
- equipment-upgrades
supersededBy: []
attributes:
preview:
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
title: Gem and rune upgrading
description: >-
A gem has its own progression rank. Diablo III’s Urshi upgrades Legendary
Gems after Greater Rifts; the image is from the historical 2014 patch 2.1
preview.
image:
src: images/mechanics/rpg-final-gems.webp
width: 1200
height: 750
game: Diablo III (2014 preview)
sourceUrl: >-
https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/15317478/patch-2-1-0-preview-greater-rifts
originalUrl: >-
https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/content_folder_media/EXH6RZIAVLVE1408586229644.jpg
credit: Blizzard Entertainment
rights: >-
© Blizzard Entertainment. Publisher-distributed screenshot or
documentation image; all rights reserved. Excluded from portal MIT and
CC BY 4.0.
caption: 'Diablo III, 2.1 preview (2014): choosing a Legendary Gem upgrade'
alt: 'Diablo III, 2.1 preview (2014): choosing a Legendary Gem upgrade'
markers:
- x: 23
'y': 79
label: The gem button selects a Legendary Gem upgrade with Urshi
tips:
- 'Explain upgrade chances, rank limits and moving the gem between items.'
examples:
- title: Diablo III (2014 preview)
url: >-
https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/15317478/patch-2-1-0-preview-greater-rifts
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
Original editorial RPG grind taxonomy authored for gamemechanics.pro on
2026-10-20 and expanded to cover activities, progression goals, reward rules
and constraints. All original thirty family/branch/variant identities are
preserved. Official developer and publisher sources support only the
specifically described released-game observations; design variants and
scenarios are hypothetical.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/rpg-grind
---
# Gem and rune upgrading
id: rpg-grind--gem-rune-upgrades
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/rpg-grind--gem-rune-upgrades
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/rpg-grind--gem-rune-upgrades/
A gem has its own progression rank. Diablo III’s Urshi upgrades Legendary Gems after Greater Rifts; the image is from the historical 2014 patch 2.1 preview.
## At a glance
[Diablo III (2014 preview)](https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/15317478/patch-2-1-0-preview-greater-rifts) · © Blizzard Entertainment. Publisher-distributed screenshot or documentation image; all rights reserved. Excluded from portal MIT and CC BY 4.0.
1. The gem button selects a Legendary Gem upgrade with Urshi
- Explain upgrade chances, rank limits and moving the gem between items.
- [Diablo III (2014 preview)](https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/15317478/patch-2-1-0-preview-greater-rifts)
## How it works
Equipment inserts have their own acquisition and upgrade loop, with transfer between items governed by the game’s rules.
## Variants
### Action → reward
- Collect and combine gems or runes → strengthen equipment inserts.
- Develop separate insert types for different builds.
- Unlock additional insert slots.
## Design example
Three small rubies combine into one large ruby for a weapon socket.
## Context and limits
A systematic RPG grind reference: 110 mechanics and 330 variants in 18 sections. Four layers answer different questions: what the player repeats, what develops, how rewards arrive and what constrains the loop. It covers single-player RPGs, ARPGs, MMORPGs and adjacent management and accumulation systems. Every mechanic has an explanation, variants and a hypothetical example; coverage, combinations and verified game observations follow the catalog.
## Connected materials
## Sources and provenance
Original editorial RPG grind taxonomy authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-20 and expanded to cover activities, progression goals, reward rules and constraints. All original thirty family/branch/variant identities are preserved. Official developer and publisher sources support only the specifically described released-game observations; design variants and scenarios are hypothetical.
- [Diablo III (2014 preview)](https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/15317478/patch-2-1-0-preview-greater-rifts) (id: source-34a5d0621fe87736)
CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors