View source for Gem Earning Tips

This is a User Guide to gaining without having to buy them with real cash.

== #1 - The Invited Players Feature ==
If you have invited friends who are starting out with the game, you'll get Gem Rewards based on their Level Progress from the '''[[Invited Players]]''' feature on the Social Menu. '''''You can only add Invited Players who have just started the game and have not yet reached Level 10.''''' But because the Friends Directory doesn't cover Level Progressions, it makes things harder to get Gems without knowing what level that which friend is currently at. To understand how to get Invited Players and to learn how to get more Gems through this feature, please read the Gem Earning Advice section, seen in the "Invited Players" article itself.

==#2 - Derpy Hooves==
There is a chance that when you click on Derpy hiding under her box that she will spawn a {{Item|gem}} among the {{Item|bit}} she usually pops. The chance is approximately 30%. 

There is no limit to how many times you can click on Derpy in a day, so long as you can find her. She can be easier to find in Canterlot,Sweet Apple Acres and Crystal Empire than Ponyville due to the fact that the area is smaller and you would have less buildings there. While there is no set pattern to her hiding, after 3 or more taps you may find she spends time wandering around talking to other ponies instead of hiding again. You can try closing and restarting the app to trigger her hiding again. This trick no longer works starting from update 3.3 as Derpy now spawns only once per day.

==#3 - Clearing Parasprites/Changelings/Bats/Corruption/Vines==
Sometimes when you defeat parasprites in Ponyville, vampire fruit bats in Sweet Apple Acres, changelings in Canterlot, Sombra's corruption in Crystal Empire, or forest vines in Everfree Forest, you will be rewarded either some {{Item|bit}}, a {{Item|gem}}, or occasionally nothing. You will need five shards per set of parasprites and per changeling, three shards per set of bats, and four shards per corruption. For plunderseed vines, shard amounts vary depending on the size. As you tap on these obstacles, {{Item|bit}} will sometimes be rewarded. The last tap may cause a {{Item|gem}} to be rewarded. If you are tapping one of the larger Snapping Vines, you may receive an extra gem prior to the last tap that defeats it.

The Everfree Forest also has one Cragadile in each of the (two) swamps when they are first uncovered, which are defeated in the same manner and also reward coins and the occasional gem. They do not respawn.

When you expand your map areas, Parasprites, Changelings, Bats, Corruption, or Vines will usually appear. The type of obstacle depends on what level you have reached. Please note that no more than five of the obstacles will appear at one time in the three towns, so do not expand an area of darkness until you have defeated at least one obstacle, to increase your chance at receiving a gem. If you are clearing dark areas around the edges or corners of a town, more than one area will potentially be cleared simultaneously (bonus!), so be sure you have removed enough obstacles before clearing. For example, the upper left corners of Canterlot can spawn three changelings by clearing one area of darkness. (This is particularly useful during a Solo Event!)

==#4 - [[Balloon Pop|Balloon Pop Games]]==

=== Friendship [[Balloon Pop]] ===
Once you have bought all the ponies that require {{Item|Heart}}, there is not much else to do with {{Item|Heart}} other than play balloon pop with them. There is a chance that you can get either 1 (uncommon) or 2 (rare){{Item|gem}} from a balloon.

For those people just starting out with only a few friends, struggling to get even the first pony, they may not think they will ever reach this stage. But it will happen. Check out the [[Friends]] page, and put your name there for others to add, as well as checking links for other "Add Me" locations. Be sure to add your name to the Directory and add friends from the list as well.

If you really want to earn a lot of Gems from the Heart Balloon Game, save your hearts until your certain desired amount is reached. Currently, it is unknown how many hearts you can collect until you've reached the limit.

=== Equestria [[Balloon Pop]] ===
There are additional Balloon Pop games that can occasionally award gems. The Equestria Balloon Pop is a free game that is playable once every 4 hours, with no skip option. Gems may be awarded in amounts from one to three. More than one gem prize can be won in the same round, although it is rare.


=== Royal [[Balloon Pop]] ===
The Royal Balloon Pop is playable for free once every 24 hours. Gems may be awarded in amounts from one to three.

=== Klugetown [[Balloon Pop]] ===
The Klugetown Balloon Pop has a chance of awarding 1-20 gems for each pop.

==#5 - Feeding Shrines==
Harmony shards eventually cap at 999. To avoid wasting shards, go to Ponyville and tap activated shrines. As you feed shards to the shrines you will get a whole lot of bits popping out. There is also a chance that a single {{Item|gem}} will also come out for every 100 shards fed in. The rarer the shard, like Magic, the better the chance. The average chance rate is discussed on the harmony stones page. Laughter shards have the lowest rate, about one gem per 900 shards. The game remembers how many shards you have entered, sort of like a bank balance. So a gem may be returned after a session of spending just 100 laughter shards, if two prior sessions to earn bits used up 400 shards each. It seems every 1000th shard guarantees a gem, provided the location isn't reloaded (no traveling to other towns, no entering any mini game, pony editor, zecora's hut etc.). You can obtain 1000th shard from shops.

To speed up the process, zoom in all the way on the harmony stone to spend shards more quickly. This makes it easier to avoid tapping on earned bits which will be collected automatically. Locate the stone in the bottom left corner of your screen if you tap with a left hand finger, or in the lower right corner of the screen if you tap with a right hand finger.

==#6 - The [[Crystal Mine Game]]==
Playing the [[Crystal Mine Game]] will grant {{Item|gem}}. {{Item|gem}} are granted as rewards after collecting enough minecart points. After a certain amount of points in total score no new gems will be available as reward - only coins and element shards. If you're really good at the mini-game you can eventually pick them up during the game itself - on the certain patterns of the railroad the gems tend to appear at the place of element shards; you can collect no more than 4 Gems per trip (2 gems in [[Update 3.8]] or earlier).

A tip for getting minecart wheels is to go around and tap each of the trees in Ponyville or anywhere and they have a small chance to drop a wheel. It can take a few taps but they only drop one item each unless you restart the app. In [[Canterlot]], stone pillars and jungle decor yield more wheels per tap.

In the Windows version, two {{Item|gem}} spawn at the start of the game. Gems also spawn after each revival. Pairing this with collected Minecart Wheels from Changelings can make up to {{Item|gem|amount=50}} per wave of Changelings. After revival, it is sometimes possible to get three gems instead of two. This appears to happen when a {{Item|gem}} already spawned prior to revival, but the player died before getting the {{Item|gem}}, so it remains after revival.

==#7 - Daily Login==
Gems are earned on specific days played. Refer to the game login chart to look up these days.

==#8 - Leveling Up==
[[Princess Celestia]] will reward you with a set number of {{Item|gem}} along with a lot of {{Item|bit}} for reaching each new level in the game. Refer to the chart on that page for the exact number of gems.

==#9 - Pony Star Level Up==
A reward will be given to you every time you raise a pony's star level, these rewards are usually [[Wheels]] or [[Materials]], but they might sometimes be {{Item|gem}}.

== #11 - Watch Ads ==
In some game platforms, ads are available to watch when you can click on the {{Item|gem}} button at the top to reach the gem purchasing screen. To the side there will be a green button saying "Get Free [[Gems]]". Tap this and you will be taken to view a 10-30 sec advertisement for some other app/game. After the ad is done, return and you will have earned 1 Gem.

You can only watch two ads a day, which means 2{{Item|gem}} a day through this, so make sure you don't forget to watch each day. Those 2 {{Item|gem}} a day can really add up.

== #12 - Group Quests ==
Getting a correct answer in [[Group Quests]] has a chance of awarding gems. Completing a group quest will reward either a gem (at the lowest level) or a treasure chest, which has a chance of containing gems.

== #13 - Gem Shops ==
Some shops produce gems instead of bits. They are listed under [[:Category:Gem-producing_Shop]]

== #14 - Gem Ponies ==
Some ponies have task to search for gems. They are listed under [[:Category:Gem-producing_Pony]]

== #15 - [[Rewarding Fun!]]==
In Ponyville,tapping on Quests and tap on watch ad icon or tapping on a character with watch ad icon floating will show a button to watch ads 5 times everyday and filling the bar to get a character as a main reward. There are 5 and 8{{Item|gem}} that can be obtain in the [[Rewarding Fun!|Rewarding Fun]].

==#16 - [[Star Mastery]]==
In [[Star Mastery]],you need to level up your ponies to get many rewards. In 75 Stars,you will get 10 {{Item|gem}}. In 200 stars,you will get 25 {{Item|gem}}. In 750 stars,you will get 25 {{Item|gem}}. In 1.500 stars,you will get 50 {{Item|gem}}. In 4.500 stars,you will get 60 {{Item|gem}}.

==#17 - [[Find a Pair|Find A Pair]]==
[[Find a Pair|Find A Pair]] minigame will give {{Item|gem}} as rewards after collecting enough points,similar to [[Crystal Mine Game]].

== #18 - [[Collections]]==
When completing a [[Collections|collection]],sometimes the reward will be {{Item|gem}}. 

==#19 - [[Ferris Wheel]]==
Playing on the [[Ferris Wheel]] has a 1.90% chance to get a  {{Item|gem}}.

== #20 - [[Calendar]]==
When log in to the game everyday and get rewards from the [[Calendar]],the reward on some day will be {{Item|gem}}. 

== #21 - [[Quest|Quests]] ==
Doing quests may reward {{Item|gem}}.

== #22 - [[Critter Ranch]]==
Fully upgraded critter ranches will produce {{Item|gem}} and {{Item|XP}}.[[Category:User guides]]
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