[[ImageFile:SocketbuttonArtisan-icon-socket.jpg|left|55px75px|Socketing]]"'''Socket'''" refers to a functionality Various items in Diablo III will often appear with sockets. Sockets are holes in an [[item]] that will allow it to can be adorned fitted with a magical [[gemgems]] that bears magical attributes(and only gems), which add a wide-variety of bonuses to the item. The mechanic allows There are 14 levels of gems, allowing the player bonuses to grow quite large. Sockets can be added to customize their items to a statistical extentby the [[Blacksmith]], which and gems placed into sockets can increase main be removed, undamaged, by the [[attributesJeweler]] like Dexterity and Strength as well as other magical effects like damage return. 

[[Image:Socketing.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Sockets for gold]]There are item sockets in Diablo III. [[Runewords]] are not returning, but gem sockets can be added to a variety of items regardless of quality of item so a rare or legendary weapon could have sockets added to it. Items types such as Helsm, Bracers, Belts and Pants have been confirmed.

Sockets are created spawn naturally in items by the [[Haedrig Eamon|Blacksmith]] Artisan in return for gold; magical, rare, set, providing another [[gold sink]]. Socketing was seen and even unique items can drop with one (or more) sockets in the Gamescom 2010 Artistan presentation video where the Blacksmith socketed a simple buckler for 24424 gold piecesthem. This The property is likely said to be changed, for better or for worse. More types of items can have sockets much more common in Diablo IIIthan it was in Diablo II; the team has said sockets are treated much like another [[affix]], though rather than being something preset into items by the full list of such items has not yet been finalized. Jay Wilson spoke on this from Gamescom 2010: developers [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/jay-wilson-interview-indiablo.de-part-two/]

::''We haven't released any information on our siteAdding sockets to items without them is a fairly simple process, but it was possible to collect socketed one that merely requires gold. The [[itemblacksmith]]s as well as offers socketing on his NPC interface, and for a price he'll add a socket to any valid item. The only demonstration of this yet seen was in the Gamescom 2010 Artistan movie, when he punched a socket into a pain [[gembuckler]]for an exorbitant (according to Jay Wilson) price of 24424 gold pieces. Presumably, based on Jay's comment, the prices are way higher, during this testing period, than they will be in the final game.  ==Socketing Bonuses== [[BlizzCon 2008File:Gem-emerald-l3.jpg|BlizzConframe|L3 Emerald bonuses.]] demoThe only confirmed socketing bonuses are from an "emerald" as seen in the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNP8QiNbFmU Gamescom 2010 Artisan video].The gem hover, as seen to the right, granted:* Weapon: +4% Casting Speed. * Helms: Attackers take 7 damage.* Belt/Boots/Body Armor/Shields: +7 dexterity It's thought that this was a low level Emerald, probably level 2 or 3, though that's not confirmed. If so, it's tempting to imagine how high the bonuses might rise on their way to the maximum gem level of 14. As long as it would take to create such a high level gem (more than 19,600 L5 gems are required to upgrade to a single L14), players expect to be impressed by the end result. 

* [[Artisans]] -- All NPC item functions are handled by these guys.** [[Blacksmith]] -- The socketeer.** [[Jeweler]] -- Removes gems from sockets. For a fee.* [[Rune]]s - No longer used with item sockets.