How to read these guides
Each guide covers five skill brackets: 1-75, 75-150, 150-225, 225-300 and 300-375. Crafting guides outline materials and recipe choices; gathering guides cover suitable areas and skill requirements. These are progression overviews, not complete shopping lists. Check recipe requirements and your realm's prices before buying materials.
1-75 Apprentice
Start with copper and low-level gem crafts.
- Jewelcrafting uses ores and gems from the very beginning.
- Gathering your own ore with Mining lowers the initial material cost.
75-150 Journeyman
Continue with Bronze, Silver and gem-based recipes.
- Prospecting can be cheaper than buying gems directly if ore is affordable.
- Save useful rings and necklaces for your alts, or disenchant them for materials.
150-225 Expert
Iron, mithril and mid-tier gems form the backbone.
- Compare the cost of prospecting ore with buying the gems you need directly.
- The market can swing a lot here because Jewelcrafting is new in TBC.
225-300 Artisan
Thorium and late Classic gems take you to 300.
- Thorium Ore can be worth more prospected than as bars.
- If a gem is unavailable, look for another leveling recipe rather than relying on that gem alone.
300-375 Master / Outland
Use Outland gems, Fel Iron and Adamantite, then higher-level gem-cutting recipes to reach 375.
- From 350+, favor gem cuts that you can sell or use in your own gear.
- Good cut recipes can be expensive, but they can also pay back quickly early in the raid season.