Elden Ring Smithing Stone locations and how to use them

Elden Ring Smithing Stones are vital for upgrading your weapons so you can deal that little bit of extra damage to cope with harder early game areas like Caelid and Liurnia. If there's one surefire way to make a boss easier, it's to deal more damage, and that's essentially what Smithing Stones let you do.

There are two variants to be found throughout the game; regular Smithing Stones which are used to upgrade regular weapons, while Somber Smithing Stones are required for unique weapons, such as those you'd get with a boss remembrance. Early on, you can find both stones in the tunnel dungeons and as drops from particular enemies, but eventually you'll want to unlock them for purchase using a Bell Bearing.

In this Elden Ring Smithing Stones guide, I'll explain how these materials work, as well as where to find Bell Bearings and Ancient Dragon variants for those endgame upgrades.

Elden Ring Smithing Stones

Smithing Stones are used to upgrade normal weapons up to +25. There are eight levels of Smithing Stones and each one will raise your weapon level in increments of three.

Here's are all of the different Smithing Stones:

• Smithing Stone (1): Reinforce armaments up to +3
• Smithing Stone (2): Reinforce armaments up to +6
• Smithing Stone (3): Reinforce armaments up to +9
• Smithing Stone (4): Reinforce armaments up to +12
• Smithing Stone (5): Reinforce armaments up to +15
• Smithing Stone (6): Reinforce armaments up to +18
• Smithing Stone (7): Reinforce armaments up to +21
• Smithing Stone (8): Reinforce armaments up to +24
• Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone: Reinforce armaments up to +25

The cost of each Smithing Stone level increases by two each time. This means to fully upgrade a weapon, you need twelve of each type ranging from (1) to (8). For the Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone, you just need a single one.

You can find Smithing Stones throughout the game, though they are usually plentiful in 'tunnel' dungeons. The best way to get Smithing Stones, though, is ultimately to find a Smithing Stone Miner's Bell-Bearing. You can give these to the Twin Maiden Husks in the Roundtable Hold and it will allow you to buy an unlimited supply of specific Smithing Stones. 

Here's where to get each one:

• Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing (1): Unlocks Smithing Stone (1) and Smithing Stone (2). Defeat the Crystalian boss in the Raya Lucaria Tunnel dungeon in Liurnia.
• Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing (2): Unlocks Smithing Stone (3) and Smithing Stone (4). Found in a chest guarded by a Vulgar Militiaman in the Sealed Tunnel in the Leyndell moat.
• Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing (3): Unlocks Smithing Stone (5) and Smithing Stone (6). Found in a chest in the cellar of the Zamor Ruins in the West Mountaintops of the Giants.
• Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing (4): Unlocks Smithing Stone (7) and Smithing Stone (8). Dropped by the Godskin duo boss in Farum Azula.

Elden Ring Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone locations

Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones are used to upgrade normal weapons fully, but there are no Bell Bearings that unlock them for purchase, meaning you have to find them in the world. Just like Titanite Slabs in Dark Souls, one of these stones is used to upgrade the last weapon weapon level, bringing it up to +25.

They are mostly found in endgame areas of the Lands Between or received as quest rewards:

• Caelid: Give nine Deathroot to Gurranq in Bestial Sanctum.
• Mountaintops of the Giants: To the southeast of the Church of Repose Site of Grace.
• Mountaintops of the Giants: At the waterfall directly east of the Cave of the Forlorn.
• Crumbling Farum Azula: On a floating platform on the lower level near the Dragon Temple Lift.
• Consecrated Snowfield: A reward for defeating the Night Cavalry duo guarding the caravan in the centre of the map.
• Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree: After defeating Loretta, head down the ladder, and to the top of the tower to find it in a chest.
• Stormveil Castle: Given by Nepheli in the Stormveil Castle throne room at the end of her questline.
• Stormveil Castle: Sold by Gatekeeper Gostoc in Stormveil Castle after completing Nepheli and Kenneth Haight's questlines.
• Liurnia of the Lakes: Given by Jerren if you side with him in the Sellen quest.
• Crumbling Farum Azula: Kill the dragon summoning red lightning in the section with the hawks.

Elden Ring Somber Smithing Stones

Somber Smithing Stones are used to upgrade unique equipment, up to +10. While the number doesn't sound as impressive as the +25 boasted by normal gear, unique weapons are generally of a much better quality from the get-go, and often feature unique skills.

Unlike regular Smithing Stones, the Somber variant are numbered for their upgrade level, meaning you only need one of each and a Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone to upgrade a weapon fully.

Here's a list of the various Somber Smithing Stones:

• Somber Smithing Stone (1): Reinforce special armaments to +1
• Somber Smithing Stone (2): Reinforce special armaments to +2
• Somber Smithing Stone (3): Reinforce special armaments to +3
• Somber Smithing Stone (4): Reinforce special armaments to +4
• Somber Smithing Stone (5): Reinforce special armaments to +5
• Somber Smithing Stone (6): Reinforce special armaments to +6
• Somber Smithing Stone (7): Reinforce special armaments to +7
• Somber Smithing Stone (8): Reinforce special armaments to +8
• Somber Smithing Stone (9): Reinforce special armaments to +9
• Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone: Reinforce special armaments to +10

You can also get these in 'tunnel' dungeons, or buy up to level four from Iji the Blacksmith. He's a friendly sort, and will even warn you from entering the manor, which is good advice to any sane person. 

There are also Bell-Bearings that unlock them for purchase from the Twin-Maiden Husks:

• Somberstone Miner's Bell Bearing (1): Unlocks Somber Smithing Stone (1) and Somber Smithing Stone (2). Looted from the Fallingstar Beast boss in the Sellia Crystal Tunnel in Caelid.
• Somberstone Miner's Bell Bearing (2): Unlocks Somber Smithing Stone (3) and Somber Smithing Stone (4). Looted from the Crystalian duo boss in Altus Tunnel dungeon in the Altus Plateau.
• Somberstone Miner's Bell Bearing (3): Unlocks Somber Smithing Stone (5) and Somber Smithing Stone (6). Found on the ground in front of the First Church of Marika in Mountaintop of the Giants.
• Somberstone Miner's Bell Bearing (4): Unlocks Somber Smithing Stone (7) and Somber Smithing Stone (8) Found on a corpse close to the Tempest Facing Balcony Site of Grace in Crumbling Farum Azula.
• Somberstone Miner's Bell Bearing (5): Unlocks Somber Smithing Stone (9). Found on corpse by the altar near the Beside the Great Bridge Site of Grace in Crumbling Farum Azula. 

Elden Ring Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone locations

As you've probably guessed, these rare consumables are used to fully upgrade unique weapons to +10. Like the regular Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones, these are mainly found in endgame areas and are pretty scarce:

• Ephael, Brace of the Haligtree: Use the needle item from the Millicent quest on Malenia's flower.
• Consecrated Snowfield: Given by Latenna for delivering her to the Apostate Derelict.
• Defeat Anastasia, Tarnished Eater, in the Consecrated Snowfield when she invades on the frozen river near the map pillar.
• Mohgwyn Palace: Found in the chest guarded by the Sanguine Noble before the Mohg, Lord of Blood boss.
• Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree: Found on the corpse on the walkway past the patrolling Putrid Avatar.
• Farum Azula: Found in the gazebo behind the dragon that summons lightning after the section with the hawks.

Elden Ring: Best weapons
Elden Ring: Godslayer's Greatsword
Elden Ring: Dark Moon Greatsword
Elden Ring: Sword of Night and Flame
Elden Ring: Marais Executioner's Sword
Elden Ring: Golden Order Greatsword