Quick Answer: Yes — you can farm “unlimited” Smithing Stones in Elden Ring as early as level 20 by exploiting Site of Grace respawns at three specific locations: Limgrave Tunnels (Stone 1-2), Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel (Stone 3-4), and Altus Tunnel (Stone 5-6). Combined with the Bell Bearings sold by the Twin Maiden Husks, you can buy unlimited Smithing Stones once you find the bearings — eliminating the upgrade bottleneck entirely.
Why Smithing Stones Matter in 2026
Smithing Stones are the resource that gates your weapon’s upgrade level. A +0 weapon does roughly 30% of the damage of a +25 weapon — which is why many players hit a wall in mid-game when they cannot find enough stones to keep their weapon competitive. Knowing where to farm efficiently is one of the highest-ROI things any Elden Ring player can learn.
The Quick Strategy — Bell Bearings First
Before farming manually, your real goal is to find the Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearings. There are four of them in the game. When you give a Bearing to the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold, the merchants unlock infinite Smithing Stone purchases at fixed prices.
- Bell Bearing [1] — Smithing Stones 1 & 2 — drops from the Crystalian boss in Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel;
- Bell Bearing [2] — Smithing Stones 3 & 4 — drops from the Crystalian Trio boss in Altus Tunnel;
- Bell Bearing [3] — Smithing Stones 5 & 6 — Crystalian boss in Zamor Ruins / Mountaintops;
- Somber Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearings — three bearings for Somber stones (special weapons), found in Sellia Crystal Tunnel and other Crystal Caves.
Best Pre-Bearing Farms (Early Game)
1. Limgrave Tunnels — Smithing Stones 1 & 2
Located in northeast Limgrave near the Mistwood. Inside you find dozens of glowing ore nodes and a few miner enemies that drop stones directly.
- Why it works: Ore nodes respawn after a Site of Grace rest;
- How: Rest, mine all visible nodes, kill miners, rest again, repeat;
- Yield: ~6-10 stones per run, 2 minutes per cycle.
2. Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel — Smithing Stones 3 & 4
South of Liurnia of the Lakes. Accessed from a hidden valley path.
- Why it works: Best mid-game farm in the entire game;
- Yield: ~8-12 stones per cycle, includes a Bell Bearing drop at the end;
- Bonus: Defeat the Crystalian for the Bearing — instant unlimited supply.
3. Sellia Crystal Tunnel — Somber Stones 3-5
Located in central Caelid. The main farm for Somber Smithing Stones, which upgrade special weapons.
- Why it works: Has multiple Somber nodes and a guaranteed Bell Bearing on completion;
- Yield: Excellent for Bloodhound’s Fang, Moonveil, Reduvia upgrades.
Pickaxe? Not Needed
You don’t need a pickaxe or tool to mine. Just attack the glowing ore nodes with any weapon. Heavy weapons mine faster, but any weapon works.
The “Unlimited” Trick — Bell Bearings + Runes
Once you have a Bell Bearing, Smithing Stones become a question of runes, not luck. The Twin Maiden Husks will sell as many as you can afford:
- Smithing Stone [1]: 600 runes each;
- Smithing Stone [2]: 800 runes each;
- Smithing Stone [3]: 1,500 runes each;
- Smithing Stone [4]: 2,500 runes each;
- Smithing Stone [5]: 4,000 runes each;
- Smithing Stone [6]: 6,000 runes each.
To farm runes efficiently, the Mohgwyn Palace Bird Glitch in late game is the canonical method, but for early game the Stormveil castle gate soldiers are reliable.
Step-by-Step — From Level 10 to +25 Weapon
- Reach Limgrave Tunnels (level 10+);
- Farm Smithing Stones 1 & 2 to bring your weapon to +6;
- Travel to Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel (level 30+);
- Defeat the Crystalian, claim Bell Bearing [1] and [2];
- Buy Stones 1-4 from Twin Maiden Husks;
- Upgrade weapon to +12 (Stones 1-3) or higher with Stones 4;
- Travel to Altus Tunnel for Smithing Stones 5 (level 50+);
- Travel to Mountaintops for Stones 6, and Crumbling Farum Azula for Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones for the final +25.
Common Mistakes
- Hoarding stones. Stones are cheap once you have Bell Bearings — upgrade aggressively;
- Upgrading multiple weapons too early. Focus one weapon to +12 before branching out;
- Ignoring the bearings. Many players grind manually for hours when the Bell Bearings would have solved the problem in 20 minutes.
FAQ
Q: Can I really get unlimited Smithing Stones in Elden Ring?
A: Yes — once you collect the four Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearings, you can purchase as many stones as your rune supply allows.
Q: What level should I be to farm Smithing Stones?
A: You can start at level 10 in Limgrave Tunnels. For the Bell Bearing farm, level 30+ is recommended for Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel.
Q: How many Smithing Stones does it take to fully upgrade a weapon?
A: A regular weapon to +25 needs 12 Smithing Stones [1], 12 [2], 12 [3], 12 [4], 12 [5], 12 [6], plus 1 Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone for the final level.
Final Notes
Smithing Stones are the bottleneck that kills early-game momentum. Solve it once — get Bell Bearings 1 and 2 by the time you reach Liurnia — and the rest of the game opens up. The “unlimited” trick is not really a trick; it’s the actual intended progression that many players miss because they keep mining manually. Skip the grind and let the merchants do the work for you.