TL;DR
- There are 4 types of accessories in Crimson Desert: Rings, Earrings, Necklaces, and Cloaks
- You can equip up to 6 accessories at once: 2 rings, 2 earrings, 1 necklace, 1 cloak
- Rings generally boost Stamina regeneration, Earrings boost Health regeneration, Necklaces boost Spirit regeneration
- Best early source: loot bandits on roadsides — they drop Tarnished Rings and Tarnished Amulets regularly
- Two powerful early earrings are hidden in Hernand — Oath of Darkness and Finely Crafted Gold Earrings
- Upgrade accessories at any Blacksmith using Azurite — a blue crystal ore found west of Rocca’s Hill
- You can use duplicate copies of common accessories as upgrade materials — great reason to hoard bandit loot
- Some accessories only reveal their secondary and tertiary stats at Refinement level 3+ — upgrade before judging them
- Fill all 6 slots ASAP — even basic accessories are better than empty slots
Accessories are easy to overlook in Crimson Desert. They’re small, they’re not as flashy as new weapons, and the game doesn’t push them on you. But filling all six accessory slots — and refining them properly — gives a stat boost that rivals upgrading your armor. This guide covers everything: what accessories exist, where to find them, how to upgrade them, and which ones are worth hunting down early.
Accessory Types and Equipment Slots
There are four types of accessories in Crimson Desert. Each type occupies a specific slot on Kliff’s equipment screen:
Rings — Two slots. Generally provide Stamina regeneration at higher refinement levels. Common early drops from bandits.
Earrings — Two slots. Generally provide Health regeneration at higher refinement levels. Some of the best early earrings are hidden in Hernand territory.
Necklaces (Amulets) — One slot. Generally provide Spirit regeneration at higher refinement levels. Also found on bandit bodies and from quests.
Cloaks — One slot. Treated more like an armor piece than a traditional accessory — closer to gauntlets and helmets in terms of function. Cloaks can be found hidden in caves and dungeons behind waterfalls in later areas.
That gives you a total of six equippable accessories at once. Fill every slot as quickly as possible. Even a basic Tarnished Ring with no special effects is better than an empty slot.
Additionally, Kliff can later equip masks, eyewear, and backpacks, though these come into play further into the game rather than the early chapters.
Where to Get Accessories Early
Loot Bandits on the Roadside — The Fastest Method
The best early-game source for accessories is simply fighting bandits. Groups of them patrol roads throughout Hernand Territory and beyond. After every fight, check the white dots that appear on your minimap — these mark unsearched corpses nearby.
Bandits drop Tarnished Rings and Tarnished Amulets at a solid rate. These basic accessories don’t look impressive at first, but once refined they provide worthwhile stat bonuses that last well into the mid-game. They also work as upgrade materials for duplicate copies of the same accessory — more on that below.
Bandits respawn at regular intervals by the roadside. If you want more, just pick any road and follow it. You’ll hit a group before long.
Two Powerful Early Earrings Hidden in Hernand
If you want to skip straight to better accessories, two earrings in Hernand Territory are well worth tracking down early:
Oath of Darkness Earring — Found inside a locked strongbox in Blummont Mana (also called Bluemont Banner). You’ll need to wear a mask to avoid being flagged while stealing. The strongbox requires solving an owl picture puzzle — press the first button four times, the second button four times, the third button four times, and the fourth button once to complete the owl image and unlock it.
Finely Crafted Gold Earring — Located in Lioncrest Manor. Head to the back of the manor near the fence and enter through the middle window. Inside, open the door near the bookshelf to find a painting puzzle. Rotate each of the nine painting pieces until they form a complete image. The strongbox unlocks once the painting is correct.
Both earrings are strong upgrades over anything you’ll find on bandit bodies, and getting them before tackling mid-chapter content makes a noticeable difference. To enter Lioncrest without triggering guards, check the guide on how to steal items in Crimson Desert for the full approach.
Quest Rewards and Exploration
Many story and side quests reward accessories directly. Keep an eye on quest reward screens — some of the necklaces and rings you’ll receive this way have unique effects that aren’t available from vendors or bandit loot.
While exploring, look for book icons on your minimap — these mark crafting tomes and recipe scrolls that teach you how to craft specific accessories at a blacksmith. Read them, then sell them to recoup the cost. You only need to read a recipe once to learn it permanently.
How to Upgrade Accessories
Accessory refinement works identically to upgrading weapons and armor. Head to any Blacksmith — Turnali in Hernand City is the earliest one available — select the Refinement option, choose your accessory, check the material cost, and confirm.
No silver required. Refinement only costs crafting materials.
Accessories Need Azurite
Unlike weapons and armor which use Iron Ore and Copper Ore, accessories require a different material: Azurite. This is a shiny blue crystal ore that’s less common than iron or copper, especially early in the game.
The earliest reliable Azurite location is the cliff face west of Rocca’s Hill, across the river almost directly north of Hernand City. The deposit sits at the base of the cliff near the river — you don’t need to climb all the way up. Mine it with a Pickaxe or Force Palm whenever you’re in the area, and check back regularly as deposits respawn over time.
Using Duplicate Accessories as Upgrade Materials
Here’s a feature most players miss: you can use a second copy of the same accessory as a refinement material. If you have two Tarnished Rings, one can be used to upgrade the other. This is a major reason to hold on to every ring and amulet you loot from bandits instead of selling them all.
This only works for common and non-unique accessories. Unique gear with special effects generally requires standard crafting materials instead of duplicates.
What Stats Unlock at Higher Refinement Levels
This is where accessories become genuinely powerful. Most accessories start with only their base stat visible. Secondary and tertiary effects — like Attack Speed, Stamina Regeneration, and Health Regeneration — unlock at higher refinement levels.
The important thing to know: some accessories don’t show their tertiary stat until Refinement level 3. Don’t judge an accessory by its base stats alone. Refine it to level 3 first to see what it becomes, and then decide whether it’s worth continuing to upgrade.
Since you can’t preview higher-level stats for accessories before committing materials, a good strategy is to refine a spare copy or save your game before committing to higher-cost upgrades, then see what stats unlock before spending Azurite on your main copy.
For the full breakdown on the refinement system across all gear types, see the how to get better equipment guide and the how to upgrade weapons and armor guide.
Best Accessories to Prioritize
Early Game: Fill Every Slot First
Don’t overthink accessory choices in the first few chapters. The priority is simply to fill all six slots. Any ring is better than no ring. Any earring beats an empty earring slot.
Farm bandits until you have two rings, two earrings, and a necklace. Once all slots are filled, start refining what you have to level 3 and beyond.
Mid Game: Hunt Down Unique Accessories
As you progress, you’ll start finding accessories with magical or unique effects — like a necklace that changes the weather, or rings that boost specific combat abilities. These are found through boss drops, hidden strongboxes, and story quest rewards.
Keep an eye on what bosses drop. Several boss fights reward unique accessories with passive effects that standard gear can’t replicate. Our best early build guide has specific accessory recommendations for early Kliff builds.
Stat Priorities by Type
As a general rule when choosing which accessories to prioritize:
- Rings — go for Stamina regen. More Stamina means more dodges and blocks in tough fights.
- Earrings — go for Health regen. Passive health regeneration between fights saves healing food.
- Necklace — go for Spirit regen. More Spirit means more frequent use of Nature’s Snare, Blinding Flash Finisher, and other Spirit-consuming skills.
Accessory Tips and Common Mistakes
Don’t sell Tarnished accessories. They look worthless but work as upgrade materials. Hold them until you’ve upgraded your current set.
Refine to level 3 before judging. Basic accessories often hide their best stats until level 3. A Tarnished Ring that looks useless at level 0 can give solid Attack Speed and Stamina regen by level 3.
Upgrade what you have before replacing. A fully refined Tarnished Ring often outperforms an unrefined rare ring. Don’t chase new accessories until you’ve refined your current ones.
Check your inventory after every boss fight. Boss accessories with unique effects are often more powerful than anything available from vendors or bandits. These deserve your Azurite investment first.
For everything related to character stat optimization, these guides cover the other key systems:
- How to Increase Attack Level in Crimson Desert
- How to Increase Defense Level in Crimson Desert
- Best Skills to Level Up First in Crimson Desert
- How to Use Contribution Points in Crimson Desert
- How to Make Money Fast in Crimson Desert
Quick Recap
Six accessory slots. Four types: two rings, two earrings, one necklace, one cloak. Fill every slot as fast as possible by farming roadside bandits. Refine using Azurite ore found west of Rocca’s Hill. Use duplicate Tarnished accessories as upgrade materials. Don’t judge accessories before refining to level 3 — secondary and tertiary stats only unlock at higher levels. Hunt down the Oath of Darkness Earring and Finely Crafted Gold Earring in Hernand territory for a strong early boost.
For a complete look at everything Crimson Desert has to offer, take a look at our full Crimson Desert review.
Available on: PlayStation 5 | Xbox | Steam | Epic Games
