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A socketed item is like any other item in World of Warcraft, except that it can be upgraded by attaching magical gemstones into the item itself. This imbues the item with additional powers similar to an enchantment. The number of sockets and the types of gems used within the item allow for a wide variety of customizations based upon how you wish to improve your character.If an item has sockets, shift-right-click on it to bring up the item's socketing window. Here, you can simply drag and drop gems from your inventory to the sockets. Once you are satisfied with your selections, click the "Socket Gems" button at the bottom of the window. Be aware that socketing is permanent - the gems are permanently affixed to your socketed item and there is no way to undo your decision. There are three primary colors of gems that can be placed into a socketed item: red, blue, and yellow. In addition, there are "secondary colored" gems - orange, purple, and green - that match two colors. Players can place any color gem into a socket; however, matching all of an item's sockets with their corresponding colored gems can award additional bonuses. These dormant bonuses appear in grey text below the sockets. There is also a special type of gem called a meta gem, which fits specifically into a meta gem socket. As stated above, socketed items have dormant bonuses which appear in grey text below the sockets. This bonus will become active when certain criteria are met - usually when all an item's sockets are filled with gems that match the colors of the sockets. If an item has a red socket and two blue sockets, placing a red and two blue gems into the corresponding colored sockets will activate the socket bonus. The socket bonus stacks on top of the stat bonuses the three gems would normally provide. If a gem matches the socket it is being placed into, the socket will begin to sparkle.You can place a red gem in a yellow socket, or a blue gem in a red socket. The only downside to not matching the colors with the sockets and the gems is not receiving the item's socket bonus. Again, it's important to note that you can put any color gem in any socket (except meta gems / meta sockets). Thus, you may decide you would rather take the benefits from individual gems that don't match instead of going for the socket bonus. In that case it would be better to ignore the suggested gems and pick the ones you want to use instead. In this way, you can tailor an item to your needs. You can take an item that you might not otherwise use and make it suit your needs by picking your own gems.
Meta sockets and gems are rare and provide powerful bonuses. Meta sockets will only accept meta gems, and meta gems can only be used in meta sockets. Meta gems can have their own special requirements unique to each meta gem. If these particular requirements are not met, the gem will not work and remain greyed out. Meta gems have their own requirements before they will activate. If a gem requires a specific number of other gems, it counts this based on all other gems currently socketed in equipped items on the character. Secondary colored gems will count towards both colors they are eligible for.
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