As I'm venturing around Northrend, collecting gear, and completing quests, I find my self asking: "Where are the sockets?"

I don't think I've found a single quest item/random drop that has sockets on it. Am I alone in this? Does it get better closer to 80? I have meta gems that are inactive because as I replace my gear, the new gear has no sockets.

Are jewelcrafters feeling this as well?

I'm hating the fact that Northrend gems don't drop.

The have to be prospected.

Yes, there has been a vast limitation on socket gear. Seems like blizzard didn't want people to really custom tailor their gear to their likings anymore. The only reason I have had to buy some gems for a couple of my guys were for belt buckles and sockets i put on my BS toons so far.

I was questing in Stormpeaks, and noticed that almost every green (or blue) quest reward seemed to have a socket.

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Q u o t e:
I'm hating the fact that Northrend gems don't drop.

The have to be prospected.

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Really? I was kind of wondering why I hadn't gotten any while mining yet though I could have sworn I've seen people say that they have.

I know gems did drop from mining in Beta because I got a scant few.

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Q u o t e:
I'm hating the fact that Northrend gems don't drop.

The have to be prospected.

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I've mined at least a couple dozen gems, including some rares.

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Q u o t e:
Really? I was kind of wondering why I hadn't gotten any while mining yet though I could have sworn I've seen people say that they have.

I know gems did drop from mining in Beta because I got a scant few.

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Not in any usable quantities. You have to prospect if you want to level jewelcrafting without paying a massive fortune.

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Q u o t e:
I'm hating the fact that Northrend gems don't drop.

The have to be prospected.

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Seen any chests in Northrend?

I sure haven't :(

gems certainly do indeed drop from mining i've gotten a few blues from cobalt

The higher quest zones have sockets in stuff. My new helmet has a socket. But no jewel

/cry

You say gems don't drop...
Drop from mobs? I don't think they ever did, or it was from just a few select mobs.
If you mean gathered directly from mining nodes, then I assure you they do, although I don't remember getting any from Cobalt.

gems do drop from nr nodes, but i have only seen 2 so far and both were of blue quality. are the greens prospect only? i admit i am taking my sweet time, so the drop rate may increase in the higher zones.

both of my gems were from cobalt

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Q u o t e:
gems certainly do indeed drop from mining i've gotten a few blues from cobalt

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I just haven't gotten lucky on them yet then.

At least I don't have a jewelcrafter to level up.

I've gotten quite a few blues from mining. I know a few JC's that have taken up mining and/or one of their alts have.

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Q u o t e:
So far that is the only item I have received or seen.

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Visit rep vendors. They have some items with a socket.

One of the reasons I haven't replaced most of my gear is that the socketed gems are making it better than all the crafted/quest/dropped items in the games early areas.

I figure I MIGHT be able to replace some stuff when I hit 73, but it's still up in the air at this point.

I think the first (non instance) socketed piece I saw was around L77. There pretty much aren't any in the early zones, but they do start to appear later.

Blizzard knows that every socket is twice as valuable as it was in TBC, so I would expect the socketed gear to be more uncommon as a result.

do to set bonuses and gems it is hard for me to switch out gear. i never thought my gear would last this long

I've collected a few gems from mining but not that many maybe 20 or so total and I mine alot.

Sometimes you get luck some times you don't I guess