Uses for gems?

[Fel]

I unlocked the gem mine and thought that it would help me get another set of great trading products.

I was quickly disappointed when I noticed that they take forever to mine, are not that high in price and have no recipes associated to them.
I was expecting them to have recipes like statues or other high value trade goods, but apparently there is nothing of the sort.

Are we really just supposed to sell them as is despite not even making as much money as other trade goods?

Old threads on this forum seem to indicate that they make great amounts of money by selling them, but the same amount of workers getting clay and turning it into porcelain (you do need some fuel I guess) makes more money, iron statues similarly are easier to mass-produce and end up making more money as well.
So I can't help but feel like I am missing a piece of the puzzle here.

[private_o_malley]

they take a while to gain value, but their real payoff is the fact that the gem mine is infinite resources without needed lamp oil to mine it out like the standard senior mines. If you get 2 or 3 gem mines maxed out, you are getting some strong selling value after a while for no extra cost

[Russell]

I also noticed this exact thing. I suspect at some point in the game gem mines got over-nerfed. Compared to the Sand->Gold path, which is another infinite resource, they use vastly more labor to produce a tiny fraction of the income. Oh, and they also require a mountain and a ton of space. The fact that, on top of all of this, they're also locked behind a trade-wall as well just makes them one of the most pointless buildings in the game.

[DownIncognito]

Originally posted by Russell:

I also noticed this exact thing. I suspect at some point in the game gem mines got over-nerfed. Compared to the Sand->Gold path, which is another infinite resource, they use vastly more labor to produce a tiny fraction of the income. Oh, and they also require a mountain and a ton of space. The fact that, on top of all of this, they're also locked behind a trade-wall as well just makes them one of the most pointless buildings in the game.

I would concur with this - How is a lantern worth much more than a rare gem dangerously-mined from the bowels of the earth?

I'd like to see other uses for this item. Some ideas:

- Rare headband or bracelet that grants some type of bonus
- Used as art in a house to decrease stress
- Used to adorn bridges for a happiness bonus
- Used to build rare / powerful decorative structures

[Fel]

I'd be fine with the same things as gold and emeralds to be fair.
Statues that have a high trade value or roads with a pretty good speed multiplier for example.
I guess roads already have obsidian (which makes it a lot more useful).

2-3 gem mines with max workers means 20 to 30 workers producing slowly something of relatively low value.

You are better off making trade items out of gold from sand or food/clothing from farming with that kind of manpower.