Abyssal Lapidary Money Guide: Commissions, Auctions, Display and Licences
How the demo's income works: commission delivery, auction bidding, display cabinets and shop allure, licence progression, and a buying rhythm that avoids dead stock.
Where the money comes from
The official material lists four uses for a finished piece:
- Deliver it to a collector or commission client — steady and predictable, but strict.
- Send it to auction — possible premium, possible no sale.
- Display it in a cabinet — raises shop allure and feeds progression.
- Keep it — some pieces provide special abilities or story use.
Commissions are the main income source; auctions and display are secondary channelsPlayer-tested. Early on, do not refuse every commission in the hope of an auction jackpot.
Commissions: read first, cut second
Most failures start before the cutting table, not at it. Check these before delivery:
| Check | Where to see it | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Gem type | Commission description | Wrong type fails |
| Cut and shape | Commission + faceting table | Wrong shape fails |
| Size / volume | Commission + gem stats | Too small or too large can fail |
| Style (plain / ornate) | Jewellery bench | Mismatch can reduce pay or fail |
| Damage | Appraisal / jewellery screen | A damaged gem cannot be delivered |
The cheapest habit
After accepting a commission, read the request and then shop for matching rough stone. Do not buy a stone because it looks valuable and then hunt for someone who wants it.
A valuable gem is not necessarily the gem this commission wantsPlayer-tested. A strict order fails when the requirements do not match, even if the gem itself is worth a lot.
Auctions: a premium channel, not steady income
The auction screen shows several bidders — a young man with a monocle, a pallid old man, a veiled lady, a gentleman in red — and lets you raise the bid in steps such as 5, 10, 25 and 50. Different buyers keep bidding.
Auctions suit:
- Good finished pieces with no matching commission.
- Collector-grade gems where you accept the risk of no sale.
- Situations where you need cash quickly but refuse to undersell to a normal client.
They do not suit:
- A gem the next commission already needs.
- A rare piece whose market value you have not checked.
Exact caps, fees and no-sale rules have not been published. Trust the interface in your build.
Display cabinets and shop allure
Display cabinets raise Vermilion House's allure and affect progressionPlayer-tested. Community guides list allure as one of the demo's progression gates.
Practical advice:
- Keep one or two high-quality pieces on display instead of selling everything.
- Display complete cuts and styles, not damaged gems.
- If progress stalls, check display and allure before grinding more commissions.
Licences and workstation unlocks
The licence is the demo's progression spine:
- Faceting and jewellery stations open as the licence advancesPlayer-tested.
- Higher licences bring rarer rough stone from merchants.
- Higher reputation brings stranger clients and more commission types.
Licence before rare ore
Rare ore is not worth buying early. If the workstation or commission is not available yet, rare rough stone only ties up cash.
Buying rhythm: few, inspected, quick
- Buy two or three stones at a time, preferably the ones that fit the current commission.
- Inspect with the monocle, not by price or size.
- Only buy what you can process today. Do not stockpile for a hypothetical future.
- Read the business log once a day to see why the last order made or lost money.
Three things not to do
- Cut before finding a commission. Once the cut is fixed, your buyer pool shrinks.
- Put every piece into auction. One no-sale can break the day's cash flow.
- Ignore the skill tree. Commission-income nodes such as Honest Measure (+20%) are direct gains.
Read next
- Get the stone out intact: Cutting and breakage prevention
- What awareness costs you: Awareness and occult ore
- Just started? Beginner guide
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to make money early?
Take commissions you can actually complete, buy stone that matches the request, and cut only after reading it. Auctions are a premium channel, not a place to park every finished piece.
Why does a valuable gem still fail a commission?
Commissions check shape, cut, size and style, not just gem value. A damaged gem also fails outright.
How does auction bidding work?
The auction screen shows multiple bidders and lets you raise the bid in steps. Different buyers keep bidding, but the exact cap and no-sale rules are not published; trust the interface.
What do display cabinets do?
Displaying finished work raises Vermilion House's allure and feeds progression. They are not just decoration.
How do I raise my licence?
Complete commissions consistently and build reputation. The licence unlocks rarer ore and stations such as jewellery work; the exact demo thresholds are shown in game.
Which skill should I take first?
If commissions are your main income, take commission-income nodes first, such as Honest Measure for +20%.
Related guides
Abyssal Lapidary Licence & Faceting: Silver, Gold, Cut Shape vs Style
How Abyssal Lapidary licences work in the demo: Silver unlocks the faceting table, what Gold still does not say, and why cut shape is not the same as cut style when a commission asks for square.
Abyssal Lapidary Beginner Guide: Daily Loop, Appraisal and Safe Extraction
A starter guide to the demo: how the day works, how many stones to buy, what the monocle tells you, how to strip host rock without shattering the gem, and when to facet or take a commission.
Abyssal Lapidary Ore List: Hardness, Toughness & Stones You Cannot Clean
Abyssal Lapidary ore list from the demo: hardness and toughness where they are known, which 1/1 stones cannot be cleaned.
All guides for this game
- Abyssal Lapidary Licence & Faceting: Silver, Gold, Cut Shape vs Style
- Abyssal Lapidary Ore List: Hardness, Toughness & Stones You Cannot Clean
- Abyssal Lapidary Awareness & Occult Ore: What the Sanity-Like Stat Does
- Abyssal Lapidary Beginner Guide: Daily Loop, Appraisal and Safe Extraction
- Abyssal Lapidary Gem Cutting Guide: Hammers, Chisels and Fretsaws
- Abyssal Lapidary Release Date, Demo & Price: What Is Confirmed