Understanding Timeless Jewels: A Complete Guide
Timeless jewels are among the most complex and powerful items in Path of Exile. This comprehensive guide will help you understand how they work and why they're essential for many endgame builds.
New to timeless jewels? Try our calculator to experience the effects firsthand!
What Are Timeless Jewels?
Timeless jewels are a special type of jewel in Path of Exile that transform notable passive skills within their radius. Unlike regular jewels that simply add modifiers, timeless jewels completely replace existing notables with new ones.
The Five Types
There are five different types of timeless jewels, each associated with a different legion:
- Glorious Vanity (Vaal) - Transforms notables into Vaal-themed passives
- Lethal Pride (Karui) - Adds strength-based modifiers to notables
- Brutal Restraint (Maraketh) - Transforms notables and keystone passives
- Militant Faith (Templar) - Converts notables to devotion-based passives
- Elegant Hubris (Eternal Empire) - Replaces notables with entirely new ones
How Seeds Work
Every timeless jewel has a "seed" number that determines which specific transformations it applies. The same type of jewel with different seeds will create completely different passive transformations.
Important: The seed number is crucial! Two identical timeless jewels with different seeds will have completely different effects.
Finding the Right Seed
This is where our calculator becomes invaluable. Instead of buying dozens of jewels to test, you can:
- Search for specific modifiers you want
- Filter by jewel type and position
- Find the exact seed that gives you the desired passives
- Buy only the jewel you need
Strategic Positioning
Timeless jewels can only be socketed in specific jewel sockets on the passive tree. The position you choose affects which notables are within the jewel's radius.
Socket Locations
Each timeless jewel type can be placed in different sockets:
- Some jewels work best in specific class starting areas
- Others are more flexible in their positioning
- The surrounding notables determine the jewel's effectiveness
Common Build Applications
Defensive Builds
Many timeless jewels offer powerful defensive options like:
- Maximum life increases
- Energy shield bonuses
- Damage reduction modifiers
- Resistances and immunities
Offensive Builds
Others focus on damage scaling through:
- Increased damage modifiers
- Critical strike improvements
- Attack and cast speed
- Unique damage conversion effects
Tips for New Players
Pro Tips
- Start with our preset searches to see popular configurations
- Always check multiple socket positions for the same seed
- Consider the opportunity cost of replaced notables
- Test in Path of Building before making expensive purchases
Practical Example: Getting Started
To help you better understand the real-world effects of timeless jewels, here's an example of what you might look for:
- Lethal Pride with specific seeds can provide significant strength bonuses
- Brutal Restraint can transform notables into powerful dexterity-scaling passives
- Militant Faith converts passives to devotion-based effects for unique build possibilities
Ready to experiment? Use our calculator to search for specific modifiers and find the perfect timeless jewel configuration for your build.
Next Steps
Now that you understand the basics, it's time to experiment! Use our calculator to explore different combinations and find the perfect timeless jewel for your build.
Ready to start? Try the Calculator
Related Articles
- Common Mistakes to Avoid - Learn from others' errors when using timeless jewels
- Comparing Jewel Types - Detailed comparison of all five timeless jewel types