Sphere values

[Impact he/him]

I'm sure something like this ahs been brought up, but I find it kind of crazy how some of the gems are valued. I get why grain and meat would both be high value, (though I would have assumed they had the same value), but why is the ability to soulcast something into gas considered to be a high-tier use?  I would figure that metal or rock would rate higher.  I'm also confused why quartz, glass and crystal are so much less valuable than anything else? 

[Quantus he/him]

For the Food topic, you can get complete (if bland) nutrition from Emeralds and the Pulp Essence since it can give you Protein, carbs, and complex vitamins and minerals.  The Meat essence cannot create natural seeming meat products because it can only create lean Meat tissue.  To get a decent Sausage you'd need to Soulcast with the Blood, Tallow, and Sinew essences to get the right mix of fat, lean, and fluids; and to get a decent Steak you'd need to find a Soulcaster with all Three essences in one caster. And Zephyr is the counterpart to both of them for feeding a populace since they use soulcasters to turn the poop into either Air (preferred) or Smoke (functional but hazardous).  

TLDR: Meat might be superior by taste (arguable by our vegetarian friends) but not by objective nutritional practicality, especially when you're just trying to keep slaves, soldiers, and bridgemen alive. 

For the rest of the gems, their modern value is also in what Fabrials they are useful in, not just Soulcasters.  Ruby isn't much use for food (edit: other than cooking it) but it's the best for telecommunications (ie spanreeds and other conjoiner fabrials).

But at the end of the day these are economic currency conventions that are as much as tradition and history as actual practicality.  

Edited September 18, 2024 by Quantus
Awful spelling...

[Impact he/him]

 

22 hours ago, Quantus said:

For the Food topic, you can get complete (if bland) nutrition from Emeralds and the Pulp Essence since it can give you Protein, carbs, and complex vitamins and minerals.  The Meat essence cannot create natural seeming meat products because it can only create lean Meat tissue.  To get a decent Sausage you'd need to Soulcast with the Blood, Tallow, and Sinew essences to get the right mix of fat, lean, and fluids; and to get a decent Steak you'd need to find a Soulcaster with all Three essences in one caster.

TLDR: Meat might be superior by taste (arguable by our vegetarian friends) but not by objective nutritional practicality., especially when keeping you're just trying to keep slaves, soldiers, and bridgemen alive.  And Zephyr is the counterpart to both of them for feeding a populace since they use soulcasters to turn the poop into either Air (preferred) or Smoke (functional but hazardous).  

For the rest of the gems, their modern value is also in what Fabrials they are useful in, not just Soulcasters.  Ruby isnt much use for food but it's the best for telecommunications (ie spanreeds and other conjoiner fabrials).

But at the end of the day these are economic currency conventions that are as much as tradition and history as actual practicality.  

Those are both good points.  I never considered all the different aspects of animal-based protein.  And  I suppose that makes sense with the waste, though it would be interesting if they converted it back into food.  And that's interesting in regard to fabrials.  Since so many are new, would the values change over time?

[Quantus he/him]

5 minutes ago, Impact said:

 

Those are both good points.  I never considered all the different aspects of animal-based protein.  And  I suppose that makes sense with the waste, though it would be interesting if they converted it back into food.  And that's interesting in regard to fabrials.  Since so many are new, would the values change over time?

I fully expect the revival of Radiants (including two soulcasting Orders), not to mention the revival of hte sibling and the nations' sharing of fabrial knowledge, that we'll see a major shift in the economy of spheres AND Stormlight itself.  The whole trading dun gems two-for-one for infused ones is not sustainable, regardless.  If relations with Shadesmar and spren keep progressing we could see a shift from the sphere based economy to one that uses Stormlight/Investiture directly like the Spren.  I strongly suspect they'll get there by the space age regardless, since Investiture is easily the most valuable commodity in the cosmere once they can transport it off-world.  

[Impact he/him]

14 minutes ago, Quantus said:

I fully expect the revival of Radiants (including two soulcasting Orders), not to mention the revival of hte sibling and the nations' sharing of fabrial knowledge, that we'll see a major shift in the economy of spheres AND Stormlight itself.  The whole trading dun gems two-for-one for infused ones is not sustainable, regardless.  If relations with Shadesmar and spren keep progressing we could see a shift from the sphere based economy to one that uses Stormlight/Investiture directly like the Spren.  I strongly suspect they'll get there by the space age regardless, since Investiture is easily the most valuable commodity in the cosmere once they can transport it off-world.  

I was just thinking about the pre-story implications.  I think with the bondsmiths being able to refill gems will change things a lot for the economy.  And yes, I think stormlight will be extremely valuable in the space age

 

Side note, I think the 2-to-1 lit to dun trade was just what Kaladin offered because he was desperate in OB.  I don't think it's necessarily a standard practice to charge that much