Best Gems for Protection Paladin in WoW Midnight (Patch 12.1.0)
Patch 12.1.0 · Updated Sep 27, 2026 · derived from simmed stat weights
Put Flawless Deadly Garnet (+17 Critical Strike) in every prismatic socket on Protection Paladin for cleave. Flawless Versatile Lapis is next, 5% behind. Values are for patch 12.1.0.69933.
- Best gem, DPS per socket
- +522
- Baseline
- 180,679 DPS
- Gems ranked
- 4
Gems ranked, cleave
Every Midnight epic gem, ranked by the DPS it adds per socket using this spec's simmed stat weights.
| # | Gem | Stat | DPS per socket | Of best | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Flawless Deadly Garnet | +17 Critical Strike | +522 | 100% | |
| 2 |  Flawless Versatile Lapis | +17 Versatility | +497 | 95% | |
| 3 |  Flawless Quick Peridot | +17 Haste | +491 | 94% | |
| 4 |  Flawless Masterful Amethyst | +17 Mastery | +488 | 94% | |
DPS per socket is the gem's rating times the Protection Paladin stat weight for that stat. The bars are relative to the best gem.
Socket guide
Secondary stat order
Critical Strike (0.67) > Versatility (0.64) > Haste (0.63) > Mastery (0.63). Full Protection stat priority.
Meta and primary-stat gems
A meta socket takes its own gem and should always be filled. Primary-stat cuts are not ranked here; the ranking is the single-secondary epic cuts that go in prismatic sockets.
Paste your /simc string to get a ranked upgrade list for your character.
New to simming? How to get your /simc string
Methodology
Formula
DPS per socket = rating on the gem times the spec's stat weight (DPS per point) for that stat. Gem ratings come from the game's data at the current build; weights from the weekly SimulationCraft scale-factor sim.
Weights used
Protection Paladin: Strength 45.67, Critical Strike 30.69, Versatility 29.25, Haste 28.87, Mastery 28.71 DPS per point, on a 180,679 DPS baseline.
Source and patch
SimulationCraft 4c7c73621e596419b5bd6faa5d68940a9c640379, client build 12.1.0.69933, gem catalog 12.1.0.69283, generated Sep 27, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best gem for Protection Paladin in Patch 12.1.0.69933?
Flawless Deadly Garnet (+Critical Strike) is worth 522 DPS per socket for Protection Paladin on cleave, the most of any epic gem, so it goes in every prismatic socket.
What is the full gem order for Protection?
Flawless Deadly Garnet (+522), Flawless Versatile Lapis (+497), Flawless Quick Peridot (+491), Flawless Masterful Amethyst (+488). The number is DPS per socket from the spec's stat weights.
How many sockets do I have?
Check your character sheet: necks and rings can come with a socket, and the seasonal socket item adds one to a head, neck, ring, wrist or belt piece. Fill every prismatic socket with the top gem here and the meta socket with a meta gem.
Should I mix gems?
No. Stat weights are close to linear over a few sockets' worth of rating, so Flawless Deadly Garnet stays the best choice in every socket. Mixing only matters when two stats are within a couple of percent, and then either is fine.
Why is this derived from stat weights instead of simmed?
Swapping one gem changes DPS by less than the sim's run-to-run noise, even at high iteration counts. Stat weights measure the value of each stat over the whole fight and stay steady from week to week.
How often is this updated?
Every Sunday after the weekly SimulationCraft update, when the stat weights are re-simmed.