View source for Publication:Unearthed Arcana/Metamagic Components

==== Gems ====

Many spells already require expensive gems as material components, and players are used to the idea that powerful magical effects sometimes require gemstones, whether cut or ground into powder. Gems make good metamagic components (from a character’s point of view) because they’re easy to carry around, they can be found as treasure, and there’s the established precedent of gemstones as a source of magic power. They’re a particularly good choice for particularly potent metamagic components (ones that [[SRD:Maximize Spell|maximize]], [[SRD:Widen Spell|widen]], or [[SRD:Quicken Spell|quicken]] spells), because a gem can easily be worth 5,000 gp or more.