In The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, there are many quests and places where you can find unique weapons and armour.
Also, players are strongly encouraged to level up their Smithing skill and make their own armour and weapons out of the ores and materials they find on their travels.
The problem with Smithing is that it can be hard to find ore veins in the wild, and sometimes they just show up out of nowhere.
If players don’t know where to look, it can be hard to find reliable sources that give a lot and don’t have to be bought from merchants for a high price.
This list will help you find a few key spots for each type of ore, making it easier than ever to gather resources in Skyrim.
14. Iron Ore
Iron is the easiest and cheapest material to find and will make decent early game armor for aspiring Smithing experts.
In general, it won’t be an issue to find iron ore in the wild, but those desperate for it should check the following locations.
- Halted Stream Camp , near Whiterun: Up to 16 iron ore veins.
- Fort Fellhammer , near Dawnstar: Up to 10 veins.
- Embershard Mine , near Riverwood: Up to 8 veins.
- Faldar’s Tooth , near Heartwood Mill: Up to 7 pieces of iron ore.
- Gloombound Mine (near Windhelm), Iron-Breaker Mine (near Dawnstar), and Blind Cliff Cave (near Markarth): Up to 6 veins in each location.
13. Silver Ore
Iron is the easiest and cheapest material to find, and it can be used to make decent armour early in the game if you want to learn Smithing.
Most of the time, it won’t be hard to find iron ore in the wild. However, if you really need it, check the following places.
- Sanuarach Mine , at Karthwasten: Up to 7 veins.
- Cidhna Mine : Up to 5 veins.
- Sunderstone Gorge , near Lake Ilinalta: Up to 4 veins.
12. Gold Ore
Gold ore is useful in the same way that silver ore is. It’s best for making rings, amulets, and circlets, among other kinds of jewellery.
There are a lot of good places to find gold ore, so it’s not too hard to find.
- Kolskeggr Mine , near Markarth and Lover’s Stone: Up to 17 veins, and a few ingots and ore pieces.
- Darkshade , near Whiterun: Up to 4 veins.
- Lost Prospect Mine , near Riften: Up to 3 veins.
- Bthardamz , near the Shrine to Peryite: Up to 4 veins.
11. Corundum Ore
When it comes to making steel ingots and improving gear, Corundum ore is the way to go. It’s extremely abundant, similar to iron and some of the other precious ores listed above.
Here are which locations to find it at.
- Knifepoint Mine , near Falkreath: Up to 18 veins, make sure to complete the quest Boethiah’s Calling first.
- Blackreach : Up to 14 veins.
- Goldenrock Mine , near Darkwater Crossing: Up to 4 veins.
- Dead Drop Mine , inside Fort Dawnguard: Up to 4 veins and several ore pieces.
10. Orichalcum Ore
Players interested in crafting Orcish armor should look no further than Orichalcum ore.
This special type of ore is a bit more difficult to find than some of the more generic ore types already listed here, but dedication will be rewarded with fairly decent armor around early to mid-game.
- Bilegulch Mine , near Fort Sungard: Up to 9 veins.
- Dushnikh Mine , near Markarth : Up to 7 veins.
- Mor Khazgur Mine , near Karthwasten: Up to 7 veins.
- Giant’s Grove , inside Fallowstone Cave near Riften: Up to 4 veins.
9. Quicksilver Ore
Quicksilver is a bit more of a niche ore just like Orichalcum, and is used in the making of Elven armor.
Elven armor is an early mid-game armor that’s decent for light armor wearers, making it worth crafting for any light armor specialists.
It’s quite difficult to find in Skyrim and is best purchased due to how rare it is.
- Quicksilver Mine , in Dawnstar: Up to 5 veins and a few ore pieces.
- Near the Wreck of the Brinehammer , near Dawnstar: Up to 3 veins.
- Blind Cliff Bastion , near Markarth: Up to 3 veins.
- Blackreach : An estimation of up to 3 veins.
8. Geode Vein
During their travels, the Dragonborn might find something called a geode vein. You can only find these shiny rocks in Blackreach, which has at least 22 veins and maybe even more. On Solstheim, you can also find geode veins.
There is a chance that different resources will fall out of geode veins. It could be a rare and valuable gem, corundum ore, or even rare and valuable ebony ore.
Some veins also give out different kinds of soul gems. Since these veins are rare and give out a lot of gems, it’s always worth mining them when you find them.
7. Moonstone Ore
Light armor specialists who would like to improve their Elven armor or even create Glass armor will need quite a bit of Moonstone ore to do so.
This ore is extremely precious and expensive, which is why finding it in loot is key to saving some gold.
- Mzulft , near Riften: Up to 7 veins.
- Soljund’s Sinkhole , near Karthspire Camp: Up to 5 veins.
- Southfringe Sanctum , near Helgen: Up to 3 veins.
- Blackreach : Up to 2 veins.
- Stony Creek Cave , near Windhelm: Up to 2 veins.
6. Malachite Ore
When it comes to Glass armor and weapons, Malachite ore is absolutely necessary for its crafting and improvement, along with Moonstone ore.
Malachite ore is even more uncommon in the wild than Moonstone ore, and it’s just as expensive as Moonstone ore.
One piece of it can cost up to 30 gold, so players should definitely mine it themselves.
- Dimhollow Cavern , near the Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon : Up to 8 veins. Requires Dawnguard DLC to access.
- Steamscorch Mine , near Kynesgrove: Up to 7 veins.
- Labyrinthian: Up to 7 pieces of raw ore.
- Ruunvald Excavation , near Shor’s Stone: Up to 4 veins.
5. Ebony Ore
No doubt the most wanted ore in the game, Ebony ore is used in the making of Ebony armor and gear, which is one of the best armors for heavy armor specialists.
One piece of Ebony ore can sell for 60 gold, which goes to show how rare and highly coveted this ore is. That said, it’s actually not the rarest ore, given how abundant its veins are in certain locations in Skyrim.
- Gloombound Mine , near Windhelm: Up to 16 veins and an abundance of ore pieces.
- Raven Rock Mine , on Solstheim in the Dragonborn DLC: Up to 9 veins.
- Blackreach : Up to 6 veins.
- Redbelly Mine , right at Shor’s Stone: Up to 3 veins.
4. Emerald Geode
This geode can only be found on Solstheim. If players are looking to create Poison Spider Scrolls in the Imbuing Chamber found in White Ridge Barrow, players can farm these areas to make it easier to get them.
Sometimes Emeralds and Flawless Emeralds can be found in other ore veins, but it’s a rare thing to happen.
Even if players aren’t interested in making Spider Scrolls with these gems, it’s worth farming them if players are looking to make extra gold.
- Solstheim, east-southeast of Bloodskal Barrow and north of Raven Rock: Up to 2 veins
- Solstheim, west of Brodir Grove, at a small going toward Bloodskal Barrow: Up to 2 veins
- Highpoint Tower, in the spider’s nest: Up to 1 vein
- Kolbjorn Barrow, after receiving the third letter: Up to 1 vein
3. Sapphire Geode
There are a lot more Sapphire Geodes all around Solstheim. These can be used to make Frost Spider Scrolls in the Imbuing Chamber.
Like other gems, there is a small chance of getting a Sapphire or Flawless Sapphire from other ore veins. If not used to make Spider Scrolls, players will make a lot of money from selling these gems.
- Solstheim, southwest of Frykte Peak, south-southeast of Castle Karstaag Caverns: Up to 2 veins
- Solstheim, southeast of Hrothmund’s Barrow, east of a cindering fire at the center of a few crates and barrels: Up to 2 veins
- Solstheim, northwest of Frostmoon Crag, near a shrine of Zenithar: Up to 2 veins
- Solstheim, south of the main entrance to White Ridge Sanctum, outside the shack which houses the trapdoor to the Imbuing Chamber: Up to 2 veins
- Highpoint Tower, two in the northwestern chamber, two in the spider’s nest: Up to 4 veins
2. Amethyst Geode
If players are looking to make Shock Spider Scrolls, it’s going to be tough. There’s only one vein the entire game and it’s in Solstheim.
If players are really wanting to use Shock Spider Scrolls, it’s best to start saving up Amethysts and Flawless Amethysts early on, before even reaching Solstheim.
Buying them is an option too, but that can get pretty pricey.
- Highpoint Tower, in the spider nest: Up to 1 vein
1. Ruby Geode
This gem has the most geodes all around Solstheim and will make it very easy to create Flame Spider Scrolls.
Most of them can be found in White Ridge Barrow and White Ridge Sanctum.
Players will have quite a few gems to be able to create Flame Spider Scrolls and see if it’s something they want to invest in.
If anything, players could be looking at potentially high payday if the gems are sold.
- White Ridge Barrow, in the spider’s nest on the second level, in the north corner, in a chamber with two heartstone deposits, down the stairs from the chain-activated bridge, take the right path and at the tunnel intersection, follow the left path to the chamber: Up to 4 veins
- White Ridge Sanctum, four in the ravine ahead of the entrance, also in the Eastern Passage left of the entryway, one in the left wall corner and the opposite wall, and two upstairs in the left passage: Up to 9 veins
- Fort Frostmoth: Up to 3 veins
- Solstheim, southwest of Kagrumez near some spider eggs: Up to 1 vein
- Highpoint Tower, in the southernmost tunnel of the spider’s nest: Up to 2 veins
