Let’s be real for a second. Elden Ring isn't exactly kind to your schedule. You spend hours meticulously crafting a build, only to realize that the cool, unique boss weapon you just picked up requires a material you don't have. You check your inventory. Zero Somber Smithing Stones. It’s frustrating. You could go hunt them down individually in some dark, spider-filled cave, or you could do the smart thing and hunt for a Somber Smithing Stone Bell Bearing.
Honestly, these items are the true "Easy Mode" of FromSoftware’s masterpiece. Once you hand them over to the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold, you stop being a scavenger and start being a customer. No more farming. No more crying over a +9 upgrade that you can't quite finish. But getting them? That’s where the game decides to test your patience and your combat skills.
The Reality of the Somber Smithing Stone Bell Bearing Hunt
The difficulty spike in finding these things is wild. The first two? Basically handed to you if you’re exploring Liurnia or Caelid. The last few? They are tucked away in late-game nightmare zones like the Mountaintops of the Giants or the crumbling ruins of Farum Azula. It’s a literal trek through hell for the sake of convenience.
Each Somber Smithing Stone Bell Bearing unlocks a specific tier of stones. You’ve got five in total for the standard tiers. If you’re looking for the ancient dragon variants to hit +10, those aren’t on bell bearings. Sorry. You have to find those the old-fashioned way. But for the rest? It’s all about the hunt.
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Most players stumble upon the first one in the Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel. It's a claustrophobic mess of blue light and annoying miners. Kill the boss—a Crystalian—and you’re golden. Well, you're "Somber Stone 1 and 2" golden. It’s a start. But if you’ve played Elden Ring for more than ten hours, you know that +2 isn't going to do much against a guy like Radahn or even a well-placed Crucible Knight.
Breaking Down the Mid-Game Wall
By the time you reach the Altus Plateau, your weapon needs more kick. You need the second bell bearing. This one is in the Sealed Tunnel, right near the gateway to Leyndell.
What’s annoying about this specific tunnel is the illusory walls. You’ll be hitting every brick like a madman. It feels like a prank. But once you find it, the Twin Maidens will start selling Somber Smithing Stones 3 and 4. This is the sweet spot for many mid-game builds. Your damage numbers start looking respectable. You start feeling like an actual Elden Lord instead of a tarnished wretch in a bathrobe.
But then the game gets mean.
The third bearing is in the Mountaintops of the Giants. Specifically, the First Church of Marika. It’s just sitting there on a corpse outside. It sounds easy, right? It isn't. The Mountaintops are a brutal experience of obscured vision and enemies that can one-shot you if you sneeze at the wrong time. Finding that church is a relief that’s hard to describe to someone who hasn't played. It unlocks stones 5 and 6. At this point, you’re playing with the big boys.
Why People Struggle with the Final Tiers
The jump from +6 to +9 is where the economy of the game breaks. You need the fourth and fifth bearings.
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The fourth one is located in Crumbling Farum Azula. You find it near the Tempest-Facing Balcony site of grace. It’s literally just lying there. But getting to Farum Azula requires you to set the world on fire, which is a bit of a commitment. This unlocks stones 7 and 8.
The fifth one? Also in Farum Azula. Near the Beside the Great Bridge grace. You have to go down a lift and fight some beastmen. It unlocks the level 9 stones.
Think about that for a second. To fully upgrade a unique weapon (minus the final slab), you have to reach the final, floating, dragon-infested city at the end of time. It’s a deliberate design choice by Hidetaka Miyazaki. He wants you to earn that power. You can’t just buy your way to a god-tier weapon in the first twenty hours unless you really, really know what you're doing and use some sequence-breaking skips.
The Psychological Value of Unlimited Stones
Why does everyone obsess over these bearings? It’s not just about the stats. It’s about the freedom to experiment.
Elden Ring has hundreds of weapons. If you’re locked into one because you spent all your found stones on it, the game gets stale. You want to try the Rivers of Blood? You want to switch to the Moonlight Greatsword? You need stones. The Somber Smithing Stone Bell Bearing system is the only thing that keeps the endgame from becoming a monotonous grind.
Imagine having to farm individual stones from enemies with a 2% drop rate every time you wanted to try a new sword. People would quit. The bell bearings are the glue holding the build variety together.
Common Misconceptions About Bell Bearings
A lot of players think bell bearings carry over into New Game Plus (NG+).
Actually, they do now. In the early days of the game, they didn't. You had to find them all over again every single time you restarted. It was a nightmare. Thankfully, FromSoftware listened to the collective screaming of the fanbase and patched it. Now, once you turn them in, the Twin Maidens keep their inventory across journeys.
Another misconception: "I can find a bell bearing for the Ancient Dragon Somber Smithing Stones."
Nope. Never. Those are limited per playthrough. Usually around 8 per run. If you want more, you have to go to NG+. This makes the level 10 upgrade a sacred choice. You don't just throw an ancient stone at a random dagger because it looks cool. You save it for the weapon that carried you through the Haligtree.
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Mapping Your Route to +9
If you're starting a new run or trying to catch up before the DLC, you need a path.
- Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel: Kill the boss for Bearing [1].
- Sealed Tunnel (Altus): Loot the chest for Bearing [2].
- First Church of Marika: Loot the body for Bearing [3].
- Crumbling Farum Azula: Grab Bearing [4] near the Tempest-Facing Balcony.
- Crumbling Farum Azula: Grab Bearing [5] in the small chapel area past the dragon temple.
It’s a linear progression that mirrors your journey through the Lands Between. It’s rewarding because it feels like you're unlocking the world’s resources as you conquer its regions.
There’s also the matter of Iji. Let’s not forget our giant friend. War-Counselor Iji sells stones 1 through 4 infinitely without any bell bearings. Many players waste time hunting the first two bearings when they could just ride up to Liurnia and talk to the big guy. He’s a one-stop shop for the early game. Support your local blacksmith.
Nuance in the Upgrade Economy
Is it worth it to get them all?
Yes. Even if you only plan on using one weapon. Eventually, you’ll find a shield or a bow or a staff that scales with Somber stones. Having the ability to just buy the materials is a massive quality-of-life improvement.
However, be prepared for the cost. Stones 7, 8, and 9 are expensive. You’ll need thousands of runes. This leads to the inevitable "farming at Mohgwyn Palace" phase of the game that everyone goes through. You find the bearing, you realize you're broke, you go shoot a bird off a cliff for an hour. It’s the circle of life in Elden Ring.
One thing people overlook is the interaction with NPCs. If you kill an NPC who sells stones—like Iji—they drop their own bell bearing. You can take that to the Twin Maidens too. It feels a bit murderous, but if you want all your shopping in one place, it's an option. I wouldn't recommend it, though. Iji is a nice guy. Don't be that person.
Actions to Take Right Now
If you are stuck at a +6 weapon and can't seem to hurt the bosses in the late game, stop banging your head against the wall. Your first move should be heading to the First Church of Marika.
Don't fight the Borealis dragon if you don't have to. Just ride past him on Torrent. Grab the bearing. Teleport back to the Hold. Buy those stones. The jump from +6 to +7 and +8 is massive in terms of scaling. It can turn a 10-minute boss fight into a 4-minute one.
Check your "Key Items" tab in your inventory. You might already have a Somber Smithing Stone Bell Bearing and just forgot to turn it in. It happens more often than you’d think. The Twin Maidens won't ask for it; you have to initiate the "Offer a Bell Bearing" menu yourself.
Finally, prioritize your runes. Don't level up your vigor for the 50th time if your weapon is lagging behind. Invest those runes into the stones unlocked by your bearings. A dead boss can't hurt you, and the fastest way to a dead boss is a highly upgraded weapon.
Next steps for you:
- Verify which Somber tiers you are missing by checking the Twin Maiden Husks shop.
- If stones 1-4 are missing, visit War-Counselor Iji in West Liurnia for an immediate fix.
- For tiers 5-9, check your map for the First Church of Marika or prepare for the transition to Farum Azula.
- Ensure your game is updated to the latest version so your bell bearing progress carries over into your next New Game Plus cycle.