Enchanting is a Mage skill in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that enables players to enhance their gear with specific magical properties using Soul Gems. Souls Gems are recurring arcane objects in Elder Scrolls lore that can ensnare the souls of people or creatures upon death, converting their spirit's essence into a tool to be used for magical purposes. While the Dragonborn in The Elder Scrolls V can acquire a variety of Soul Gems from merchants, enemy drops, or container loot, they will need to increase their level in Enchanting to fully utilize each gem's power.
A Soul Gem must first be filled to enchant weapons or armor, as it's useless if empty. Skyrim players can fill Soul Gems by casting Soul Trap on an enemy before slaying it. This Apprentice-level Conjuration spell can also be imbued into weapons, which allows a creature's soul to be automatically absorbed into an available Soul Gem upon death. An important detail to note is that the specific variant of Soul Gem will determine the possible type of soul captured.
Soul Gems are items in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that come in five basic types: Petty, Lesser, Common, Greater, and Grand. Petty Soul Gems are the smallest type and can hold the souls of very low-level creatures such as foxes, chickens, or rabbits. Lesser Soul Gems are noticeably stronger than Petty gems but only provide minor enchanting power. To fill these gems, players can trap the souls of any creature below Level 16, like Falmers, Trolls, or Spriggans. Next, creatures with Common Souls range up to Level 28, including Cave Bears, Dwarven Spiders, and Hagravens. Greater Soul Gems are even more potent, trapping the souls of enemies leveled at 38, like Giants or Wispmothers. Finally, the Grand Soul Gem can absorb the soul of any creature, ranging from deadly Dragons to powerful Dragon Priests.
How to Find and Use Soul Gems in Skyrim
After filling a Soul Gem, Skyrim players can enchant their gear at an Arcane Enchanter. The type of gem and soul(s) captured, along with the player's Enchanting skill level, will determine how powerful the equipment is enhanced. Players can also use Soul Gems to recharge their enchanted weaponry by choosing the Recharge option within their inventory. However, this action will consume the gem, so players must ensure they've captured a suitable soul for the gem's type. For example, recharging a weapon with a Grand Soul Gem filled with a Mudcrab's soul would be quite a waste.
On top of the five basic types, Souls Gems in Skyrim also come in unique forms, such as the reusable Asura's Star Daedric Artifact or Black Soul Gems. Black Soul Gems are similar to Grand Soul Gems, but the primary difference is that, while all of the standard gem types only can capture creatures, Black Soul Gems can hold the souls of humanoid NPCs as well. Nevertheless, such rare gem types are hard to find or are only obtainable through specific quests, but basic Soul Gems can be found endlessly across Skyrim. They can even be farmed from mining deposits within Blackreach.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.