Several in-game years can pass before a Valley of the Stars player finds his first Prismatic Shard
but even then, they may have absolutely no idea what to do with it. Suffice to say, Prismatic Shards are exceptionally rare, with only one or two guaranteed drops and a less than one percent chance of finding one organically almost anywhere else. The few reliable ways to farm Prismatic Shards take a while to develop, requiring late-game unlocks for true perfection.
Prismatic Shards have many uses, but none of them are immediately clear just to look at them. They don’t appear to be part of any crafting recipes and it seems a waste to sell such a rare material, even if it has a high price. Even so, there is no universal solution for what to do with the first Prismatic Shard – the answer depends on the player’s progress in the game and their top priorities at the time they find it.
You can donate your prismatic shard
Museum or lost package
If the player is lucky enough to find one early in the game, Is it possible to donate a Prismatic Shard
to the Museum. Frankly, though, it’s not worth it; although it contributes to the total number of artifacts and minerals they have donated, there is no special reward just for donating a Prismatic Shard. It’s best saved for a more rewarding reward later in the game, so consider just putting it in a
chest and waiting until they are unlocked.
If the player is mid-game and has already completed all other Community Center packs, they can also choose to donate the Prismatic Shard to the Lost Package. This is far from the worst thing someone can do with their first Prismatic Shard. Completing the lost package unlocks the cinema. It represents a major change in Pelican Town and the player’s final victory in the Community Center storyline. It’s also a great way to improve relationships with some of the Valley of the Starsis Singles.
However, no need to use a prismatic shard to complete the missing package. There are six items in the package, but only five spots need to be filled. Since the Prismatic Shard is arguably the hardest to obtain, there is some value in finishing this pack with the other five and saving the Prismatic Shard for another day.
You can donate your prismatic shard
Not recommended
Alternatively, It is possible – although not recommended – to give a Prismatic Shard to a villager. It’s an almost universally loved gift and is good for a solid affinity point boost from almost any villager. The only person in town who doesn’t care about Prismatic Shards is Haley. In fact, she openly hates them, so don’t even bother trying to win her over by giving her a Prismatic Shard.
That being said, It’s almost always a bad idea to give a Prismatic Shard to a villagerunless the player has already obtained a Statue of True Perfection
and really need a quick gift for a forgotten birthday. Remember how rare these materials are – it’s always good to make friends, but there are much easier ways to do so, and a Prismatic Shard can serve the player in several better ways.
You can create with your prismatic shard
Wedding rings and enchantments
And while there are no immediately obvious crafting recipes that make use of Prismatic Shards, there are some more advanced crafting tasks that require them. On the one hand, the player will need a Prismatic Shard to create a wedding ring
. The recipe can be purchased at the Traveling Cart when in town on Fridays and Sundays, or during the Night Market and Desert Festival. Until purchased, it will always appear in the merchant’s inventory in a multiplayer game, regardless of your other inventory, but in a single-player game, it will not appear.
Keep in mind that this is useless in a single-player game or one where all the players plan to marry NPCs; a wedding ring is only used when two player characters wish to marry. That said, if player one’s plan is to settle down with player two, and they want to do that sooner rather than later, it makes sense to save a Prismatic Shard for the ring.
Furthermore, Prismatic Shards are also required for all enchantments in the Forge. This is a late-game customization option that players can only access after reaching the top of the Volcano Dungeon on Ginger Island. Each weapon/tool enchantment costs one Prismatic Shard and 20 Ash Shards
the latter can be found abundantly in the volcano area. Just remember that tool enchantments are random; there is no way to influence what the player receives. Therefore, it is best to wait until the player has a solid supply of Prismatic Shards to start using the forge.
Other uses for prismatic shards
Shops, swords and more
There are several other miscellaneous uses for prismatic shards, but most of them – apart from one – represent rather marginal cases and are not particularly useful to the player. Let’s start with the most useful: bring a Prismatic Shard to the center of the three pillars in the Calico Desert and hold it high to get the Galactic Sword
.
At 60-80 damage, this is one of the best weapons the player can safely obtain. Valley of the Stars the moment they unlock the Calico Desert. If the player is struggling with Skull Cavern, then the Galaxy Sword can be a game changerand it’s well worth the cost of the Prismatic Shard.
The dwarven tombstone in the cemetery provides a clue to this secret, but players do not need to be able to read dwarven to claim the Galaxy Sword.
Players will also need four prismatic shards to complete Mr.Four Precious Stones“in exchange for 20 Qi Gems. This specific objective can wait if any of these other options seem appealing. Prismatic Shards can also be exchanged with the Desert Merchant – three Shards for a piece of Magic Stone Candy
. This is a very powerful healing item, but it is not worth the Prismatic Shards unless the player has a surplus. Prismatic Shards can be used in Sewing machine
to create a colorful outfit, but it’s not worth the effort.
Finally, a Prismatic Shard can also be offered as a sacrifice in the Black Shrine of Selfishness if the player wants to get rid of a child. This turns the child into a dove, which flies away and is never seen again. This will inevitably be useful for some players, but these cases are very rare and therefore there is no need to save a Prismatic Shard for a potential offering in the future.
And that’s absolutely all a player can do with a Prismatic Shard. Again, there is no universally correct solution, but depending on the player’s progress, it is better to use it to claim the Galaxy Sword, enchant a tool, or create a wedding ring than to donate, gift, or sell. With these uses, Prismatic Shards can be a huge help in Valley of the Stars.