Blue Gems and Rubies — Understanding Elite Tier CS:GO Skin Patterns

Not all CS2 skins are made equal, both in terms of price, and the way the patterns are generated. While some are rather predictable and not very varied within their seeds, others are more nuanced, with more than just the wear and the skin influencing their prices.

These are elite CS2 skins. Skins that have unique patterns that can make them reach record prices. These include Case Hardened, Doppler, Gamma Doppler, Fade, and Marble Fade skins.

These skins do not have a set pattern, instead, it’s generated based on a seed, with different seeds creating different colors and combinations. In this article, we’ll tell you all about the various types of these special skins and why you should look out for them.

Case Hardened - The Blue Gem maxresdefault (4).jpg

Case Hardened skins are the only skins from this category that apply to weapons other than knives, with some guns like the AK-47 also having their own Case Hardened version.

The Case Hardened skins are supposed to represent the real-life process of case-hardening, giving weapons a unique “oil-blot” look. The most expensive version of these skins are Blue Gems, patterns where the weapon is predominantly blue, like in the case of this AK-47 and Karambit.

While a normal Karambit Case Hardened costs around 2 thousand dollars Factory New, Blue Gems can cost up to 150 thousand dollars. Getting one is random, as one very lucky CS:GO player recently found out, unboxing the knife above.

This particular pattern is extremely rare, with only 12 Blue Gem Karambits out there in the wild.

However, Case Hardeneds are hardly (ha!) the only unique patterned skins.

Dopplers

Thought the Case Hardened was complicated? Well the Dopplers are even more funky. With 4 phases and three special colorways, these can be really hard to wrap your head around. But we’ll try.

Doppler Phase 1-4 maxresdefault (5).jpg

The Dopplers are made up of three main colors, red, black and blue, with the four phases differing in the amount of each color. Phase 1 is mostly black with a red streak, Phase 2 is mostly red with a black streak, Phase 3 is mostly black with two blue streaks, while Phase 4 is mostly blue with a black streak.

Overall, Phase 2 and Phase 4 are the most popular out of these phases, with Phase 4 being the most expensive at lower wear levels, and Phase 2 increasing in price in Factory New. Of course, the prices also depend on the knife type, and exact float.

Sapphire Doppler Sapphire - credit Harry L on Steam Oh, you thought the 4 phases were all we’d be talking about? Sapphire Dopplers are far more expensive than the “regular phases”, being completely blue. This unique knife can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

The Sapphire Knife isn’t the most expensive variant of the Doppler either. Enter the…

Ruby Doppler maxresdefault (6).jpg The red version of the knife is even more expensive than the blue one. Similarly to the Sapphire, its uniform color makes it a popular choice for the more well-to-do CS2 players. Currently, Factory New Doppler Rubies start at around $10,000.

Finally, we have a rarer, albeit less pricey Doppler

The Black Pearl We’re not talking about Jack Sparrow’s ship either. The Black Pearl is a (mostly) black finish of the Doppler that is probably the rarest finish of the bunch. However, its price is lower than that of Sapphires and Rubies, given that it’s not as visually appealing. This doesn’t mean its cheap, though, as it starts at around $5000 Factory New.

This is it for the Dopplers, but we still have their… greener cousins to go.

Gamma Dopplers download (3).jfif Similarly to Dopplers, Gamma Dopplers have 4 Phases, however, unlike the Dopplers, they’re mostly based on shades of black and green. Phase 1 is mostly Black, Phase 2 is mostly Green, while Phase 3 and 4 are a mix of Black, Green and shades. Most of these are of a similar price, however, Phase 2 is sometimes valued higher than the others. However, the Gamma Dopplers also have their elite skin which is…

The Emerald download (4).jfif The jewel of this bunch is the Gamma Doppler Emerald, an all-green version of the knife. This green gem can range in the tens of thousands of dollars Factory New.

Conclusion Knowing your way around elite skins might help you earn more money on CS2, and finding great deals around the marketplaces.Use that knowledge wisely to increase your trading portfolio or create the perfect loadout. And if you’re looking for cheap skins, be sure to visit PirateSwap!

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