The hunt for the stones of Barenziah

A detailed guide of where each stone is and how to get to its location including pictures of each spot where the gem will be. Also including a link to a steam workshop mod which quest marks them all if you wish to use that instead of the guide.

Introduction

Hiya, if your anything like me you probably want to get every pesky quest done in Skyrim which leads you to a very vague quest including all of these darn stones. Then having to look up each location online while your trying to play isn't very fun, specially with how buggy shift tabbing web browsers can be. After recently going through the pain of doing it I thought why not make a simple tool for everyone else to use so they don't have to go through what I did. So I did it again...

I also want to make sure that you guys know about a nice mod on the workshop which quest marks each and every stone AFTER you get the quest to get all 24. Meaning you have to do the first bits of the thieves guild questline so you can talk to Vex. You can pick it up right here The stones of Barenziah mod I have permission from the auther to post it in this guide.


I have ordered the stones in a way that you can get to Riften as quickly as possible and use the mod if you don't wish to use the guide but if your only missing a few I set it up so you can just find the one or two you might be missing without a hassle.

Whiterun (1-3)

First find the giant tree just south of the road leading to Dragonsreach.

1. Go east from the tree and into Jorrvaskr. Then turn right and down the stairs into the Living Quarters. Take another right and go straight till you hit a wall, go right into the small room and the stone is on the cupboard to the left of the bed.



2. Go west from the tree, following the road, go up the first set of stairs on the right and straight into the Hall of the dead. Then straight into the catacombs. Go down the stairs to the left and then turn left, the stone will be by the skeleton's feet.



3. Inside Dragonreach go into the larger room on the left then go down the stairs on the oppisite side of the room, into the Jarl's quarters. Go straight up the stairs then turn left and up more stairs. Straight into the room with the large table before turning left into the bedroom and the stone will be on the end table to the right of the bed.

Riften (4)

This is where if you wish to use the mod instead of the guide, simply follow the theives quest by doing what your told to do in the middle of town. Then the following quest, and then the one after that. All of which are done in Riften so you don't really need directions. After that talk to Vex who will have a option about the stone and she will give you the quest to get all 24, which triggers all the quest markers for the mod.

the link for the mod again is Here

However if you wish to keep me company some more, keep going!

4. Enter Mistveil keep, go straight behind the throne and up the stairs into the Jarl's Chambers. Go straight from the stairs take your second left and the stone is on the end table left of the bed.

Black-Briar Lodge (5)

Just east of Riften as marked on the map above.

5. From the main door go left and then up the nearby stairs. Head left into the bedroom and the stone is on the left end table by the bed.

Ansilvund (6)

Quite a walk South East from Windhelm use the map for reference.

This is the first dungeon setup I'll chime in if there is something important. Most of the dungeons are pretty straight forward.

6. Read the book on the table and scan for the correct puzzle answers. After the boss fight the stone is right next to the dungeon reward.

Stony Creek Cave (7)

Just north of Ansilvund

7. This dungeon is basically a straight line, keep a eye out for a guy on the right sitting in a chair. Behind the guy sitting in a chair you can turn left which leads to a wizard and the Stone on the table to the right of the alchemy spot.

Windhelm (8-9)

In this section we will be doing something to allow us in the dark brotherhood for a later stone. Skip it if you don't need it.

8. From the entrance go left and straight until you get to the forge then turn right and go through the small alleyway when your across from the hall of the dead(The door next to all the graves) go up the stairs just to the left of it. Then turn left into House of Clan Shatter-Shield. From the door go right, upstairs then left into the room. The stone is on the right in the bookshelf.




9. Inside the Palace of the Kings immediately take a left into the door, follow the hallway all the way to the enchanting table in front of you the stone is on the table on the right behind the skull.



Now, while you've been running around you might have heard about some kid being naughty. So lets be good adventurers and investigate.

Inside the Aretino Residence, you will find a kid. Talking to him he gives you a quest that lets you into one of the places we need to go later for a stone. So do the quest then continue on with your stone gathering. After a Courier gives you a note sleep somewhere. After events happen. Do as your told and then once leaving this room you are free to continue your stone gathering and your also prepared for later.

Winterhold (10)

10. Enter the Hall of Elements and turn left and go into the Arch-Mages Chambers. Turn left towards the plant filled room. Go either way the stone is on the shelf on the oppisite side of the room.



If you can't get inside you must do the mage quests until you finish "Under Saarthal" At which point the doors to it will be unlocked. If you end up doing the dungeon and such, the puzzles answers are behind the pillars. The second just takes some use of your own brain.

Yngvild (11)

The big island East and a little North of Dawnstar.



11. In the throne room, after the boss, go into the room behind the throne like chair and the stone is on the table.

Hob's Fall Cave (12)

Hob's Fall Cave is South East of Yngvild


12. Ok this is the first real curve ball out of all the stones. If you aren't paying attention, when you come to the room that has the impaled bodies, after cleaning it up of baddies there is actually a path to the left just before you enter that room. Down the path leads to a few more guys and the stone sitting on the cupboard.

Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary (13)

Remember when I told you to go to sleep after the courier in Windhelm? Well its time to continue from that. If you don't remember check Windhelm's tab on the side.

*Note* Possible to become unobtainable if you don't pick it up before going to deep in the Dark Brotherhood quests.

The Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary is just a little bit west of Falkreath




13. Take your first left into the room, turn left again and the stone is on the dresser.

Pinewatch (14)

Pinewatch is North and more East of Falkreath.



14. Inside on the left is a staircase, go down it. Then there is a small table with stuff on it just above the left side of the table on the wall is a button which opens the secret passage to the real dungeon.

In the room just before the room where there is bandits, beds, and a campfire there is a pickable locked door on the west side. The stone is inside the small treasure room.

Sunderstone Gorge (15)

This one is quite a ways from a town so put your hiking boots on. Either South West of Whiterun or North West of Falkreath.



15. Right in front of the word wall the stone sits on the giant table along with the dead bodies.

Rannveig's Fast (16)

Rannveig's Fast is South West of Morthal


16. In the room with the named warlock the stone is on the table on the left side.

Dainty Sload (17)

The Dainty Sload is a ship just north of the blue palace on the map.


17. When you find the room with the first mate, there is a table in the back where the stone is sitting.

Solitude (18-19)

18. Following the main road of the town until it forks then take the left road until another fork, take the South East path to the Blue Palace. Go straight up the stairs then take a left and go down the hall until your faced with a double door open it and the stone will be on the wardrobe to the right of the bed.



19. Proudspire Manor In order to get the key to this house you need to buy it after you to talk to the steward inside the Blue Palace and get a quest to clear out a cave and the follow up from the Jarl. I know my main file can't receive the second quest for some reason and I have heard it is because of the main story quest, or needing to finish one of the civil war sides I don't personally know why, if you know do let me know and I'll update this part.

Entering from the bottom floor door next to the main road, Go straight and turn right before you bump into the target guy (If you didn't upgrade the house) Go up to the third floor and turn left then once you go in the room take another left and the stone is on the wardrobe.

Fellglow Keep (20)

Fellglow Keep is North East of Whiterun.



20. From the main door, go up the stairs take a right and the stone is on the desk.

The Reeking Cave/Thalmor Embassy (21)

From what I've heard after some patch the stone was moved into The Reeking Cave. Which is a small unmarked cave behind Thalmor Embassy. You can either run from Wolfskull Cave following the road and you'll find it or just go to where the cursor is on the map. DO NOT GO TO THE CUSTOM MARKER



21. Inside the cave simply go to the body on the left and the stone is right next to it.

Dead Crone Rock (22)

Dead Crone Rock is a dwarf ruin South West of Markarth.



22. Once you get up to Drascua(The named Hagraven) there is a table like thing where the stone is sitting on.

Markarth (23-24)

23. Upon entering go straight west on the right side of the water. Then take the stairs up and enter the Treasury House. On the left side is a locked door open it and the stone is straight ahead in the bedroom on the right side of the bed on top of small wall table thing.


24. Enter Understone Keep take a right and go up the stairs and into the Dwemer Museum. Once inside simply head to the left side and open the large locked gate. The stone is on the table to the right. Congrats you got the last gem!


Note you might have to do a small sidequest for the wizard to get inside with the key.

What do I do now?

Once you have all the Stones you return to Vex. She will give you a quest to go to a cave North of Riften.


and there you go you did it hurray!

Please let me know if anything is wrong with the guide or if it helped you. :3 Leave your cookies by the door if you want to give me some.

[avitong the assbender]

25K just to get one stone vex can rot in sovernguard

[thetruedemonprince23]

I know that you probably won't update this, given how long it's been, but the Proudspire Manor thing is weird. You don't need to be on either side of the Civil War in order to do the quest to unlock the ability to buy Proudspire. It also doesn't matter where you are in the main questline. The only thing that would affect your ability to do this quest is if you are doing the Civil War questline in favor of the Stormcloaks, and specifically the Battle of Solitude, during which you obviously wouldn't be searching for quests. However, if this bug affects you, getting the Wax Key perk and picking the lock to the fletcher's will give you the Proudspire Manor key instead of the correct key.

[Meat-King, The Ultimate]

Thank you for this excellent guide.

[Coffee_Cake]

This helped so much because my achievement enabler won't work and i want to get all the acheivements before i mod more than the menu, so TYSM!!

[Meows]

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!
@Levi Yeah I guess it's true it'll work for 3 more skyrim releases. I actually was trying to make a new guide for the legendary version before I realized it was just the special edition and already had a guide for it.

[Midnight Snekk]

@Meows What the heck, dear, this guide not only helped in past, it will help for as long as Todd decides to release another Skyrim on yet another Samsung fridge! <3 Thanks so much :>

[zAck]

Great guide bro! Helped so much, thank you.

[Meows]

Thanks for all the awards everyone. Your to kind. <3 Glad the guide could be helpful even to this day!

[Call Sign: Raven]

Thank you for parsing all this information together. I already knew the locations, but this guide has the most sane order. Thank you!

[Hestia]

Hi Hi I don't know if this has been addressed but the stone 19 in the Blue Palace if you run the console command [] while in the Blue Palace you should be able to continue the quest line without finishing the civil war quest line first.