Let's be real: "No Stone Unturned" is the most hated quest in Skyrim. You've got these 24 "Unusual Gems" taking up space in your inventory, they won't stack, and they weigh a pound each. Honestly, it's a nightmare. But if you’re trying to build a character with a billion gold or you just want to finally see that crown on its display, you’ve gotta find them all.
Most people think you need to be level 50 to finish this. You don't. You can actually snag the majority of these early if you know where to look and have a spare 25,000 gold lying around for a specific house in Solitude.
Why Stones of Barenziah Locations Drive Everyone Insane
The biggest problem isn't just the number of stones. It's the fact that they are tucked away in places you might never visit twice. If you miss the one in the Thalmor Embassy during the main quest, for instance, you used to be totally screwed. Thankfully, Bethesda moved that one to Reeking Cave in later patches, but the trauma remains for veteran players.
When you finally get all 24 and restore the Crown of Barenziah, you get a passive ability called Prowler's Profit. Basically, every urn, chest, and burial urn in the game starts spitting out flawless diamonds and emeralds like a broken slot machine. It’s game-breakingly profitable.
But getting there? That's the grind.
Whiterun: The Easy Starters
Whiterun is usually where most players find their first few gems. You don't even have to fight much for these, which is a nice change of pace.
- Dragonsreach: Head into the Jarl's Quarters. It's sitting right on the end table in the master bedroom. Nobody even cares if you take it.
- Jorrvaskr: Go down into the living quarters. You'll find it in Kodlak Whitemane's room, specifically on the shelf next to his bed.
- Hall of the Dead: This one is in the catacombs. Once you go down, head into the first room, go down the left stairs, and look to your left. It’s sitting next to a skeleton.
Solitude and the 25k Barrier
Solitude has two stones, but one is a massive gold sink.
- The Blue Palace: You'll find this one in Jarl Elisif's bedroom, specifically on the bedside table.
- Proudspire Manor: This is the annoying one. You have to buy the house, which costs 25,000 gold. To even get the option to buy it, you have to complete "The Man Who Cried Wolf" and "Elisif's Tribute." The stone is in the master bedroom on the top floor.
Markarth: Museum Heists and Treasury Raids
Markarth is vertical and confusing, but the stones here are fairly close to each other.
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- The Treasury House: Walk into the master bedroom. It’s on the bedside table next to Thonar Silver-Blood's bed.
- Understone Keep (Dwemer Museum): You’ll need to either pick a lock or get the key from Calcelmo. The stone is in the first room on the left, sitting on a table in the corner.
Riften and the Thieves Guild Influence
Since the Thieves Guild is the one that gives you this quest, it makes sense that Riften is a hub for these gems.
- Mistveil Keep: Go into the Jarl’s Chambers. It’s on the nightstand in the master bedroom.
- Black-Briar Lodge: This is east of Riften. It’s the big estate guarded by mercenaries. Head upstairs to the master bedroom and grab it off the end table.
- Ansilvund: This is a dungeon northeast of Riften. You’ll have to fight through the whole thing. The stone is in the final room (Burial Chambers) on the table next to the Ghostblade.
Windhelm: Old Blood and Ancient Kings
Windhelm’s stones are tucked away in very different types of locations.
- House of Clan Shatter-Shield: Head upstairs. In the first bedroom on the left, the gem is sitting on a bookshelf.
- Palace of the Kings: Don’t look in the throne room. Instead, go into the first door on the left (upstairs) and follow the hall to Wuunferth the Unliving’s quarters. It’s on his table.
Dungeon Crawling for Gems
The remaining stones are scattered across Skyrim's more dangerous corners. You’re going to be doing a lot of fast traveling and a lot of clearing out necromancers.
- College of Winterhold: You need access to the Arch-Mage's Quarters. This usually means finishing the "Under Saarthal" quest. The stone is on a shelf.
- Hob's Fall Cave: Located between Dawnstar and Winterhold. In the necromancer sleeping area, you'll find it near the alchemy lab.
- Yngvild: This is a cave on an island northeast of Dawnstar. Go to the very last room (the throne room) and look in the chamber behind the throne.
- Dead Crone Rock: Southwest of Markarth. It’s at the top of the tower, on the altar right in front of the Word Wall.
- Sunderstone Gorge: West of Whiterun. Like the one above, it’s on the altar in front of the Word Wall.
- Pinewatch: This is a "shack" west of Helgen. There’s a secret basement that leads to a massive bandit sanctuary. In the treasure room before the final boss, there's a locked door. The stone is on a shelf inside.
- Fellglow Keep: Northeast of Whiterun. You'll find it in the workshop on a counter between the alchemy and enchanting stations.
- Rannveig's Fast: South of Morthal. It's in the prison area on a table next to the exit gate.
- Stony Creek Cave: Southeast of Windhelm. Go into the bandit wizard’s cavern. It’s on the table near the alchemy lab.
- Dainty Sload: This is a ship docked near Solitude. Go into the Captain’s Quarters; the stone is sitting on the table.
- Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary: You have to join or destroy the Brotherhood. The stone is on the dresser in Astrid’s room.
- Reeking Cave: This is the one that used to be in the Thalmor Embassy. It's now in the cave you use to escape the embassy, sitting next to a dead conjurer.
The Secret to Finishing Without Pulling Your Hair Out
A common mistake is picking up a stone and then forgetting which one it was. There's no way in the vanilla game to track which Stones of Barenziah locations you've already visited. If you’re at 23/24 and you don't know which one you missed, you basically have to revisit every single spot on this list.
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Sorta painful, right?
One "pro tip" that actually works in the vanilla game (though it's technically a bug) is the multi-tap trick. If you rapidly press the "take" button on a stone, the game will sometimes count it twice or even three times toward your quest total. You still only have one in your inventory, but the quest log updates. This can save you from having to buy that 25k house if you do it right.
Actionable Next Steps
To actually get this done, follow this workflow:
- Print or copy a checklist: Do not rely on your memory. Cross them off the second you pick them up.
- Focus on the cities first: You can get about 10 stones just by visiting the Jarls' quarters and main houses in the major holds without fighting a single draugr.
- The 25k Gold Grind: Use the "Transmute" spell on iron ore to make gold rings. It’s the fastest way to get the cash for Proudspire Manor early on.
- Finish the Quest: Once you have 24, talk to Vex. She'll send you to Tolvald’s Cave to get the actual crown. Bring plenty of health potions; that cave is crawling with Falmer.
After you return the crown, go hit up a few Nordic ruins. You'll find more gems in the next hour than you did in the previous forty hours of gameplay. It's the ultimate "rich get richer" mechanic in Skyrim.