Crystal mining guide [Outdated]

- Head to Argon Prime.
- Explore out the snake like asteroid field in the system (noted in red hexagons on the map).
- Start at one end and focus on the asteroids.
- Notice on some asteroids a bright twinkle? Head towards these twinkles directly.
- Shoot directly at the crystal with your primary weapon when in range.
(Best not to use ammo based weapons so you gain the most profit of this venture. Weapons info below)
- Pick up the crystals by holding down the key that activates the object magnet used to pull free floating items into your ships hold.

Crystal types:
Purple (Bandannite) - most common, least valuable (850cr - 1,150cr).
Blue (Menelaene) - common, a lot more valuable than purple crystals (8,500cr - 11,500cr).
Green-Yellow (Aguilite) - uncommon, a little more valuable than blue crystals (17,000cr - 23,000cr).
Orange (Mitonene) - rare, a lot more valauble than green-yellow crystals (25,555cr - 34,500cr).
White (Burnite) - very rare, extremely valuable and worth way more than orange crystals (200,000cr - 300,000cr).

- Assuming you got a pile of different crystals? Sell the crystals to a trader but make sure to pick the right one, otherwise you could lose millions in credits selling to the wrong trader! Always check your prices when selling.
(To find a trader? Head to any station, land and find the holographic cart icon above and head in that direction or use the elevator and head to traders corner. Once you are there, you'll find a trader there who will take your crystals but their prices vary from one to another on other stations)

It is a time consuming task finding and extracting the crystals but it is well worth it early on for quick credits.

Note: There is an achievement tied to this means of making money (Called: "Miner's Luck"). By mining Burnite crystals you complete the achievement for mining the most valuable crystals in the game.

You can mine these crystals in other systems with asteroid fields, but once you got a feel for mining crystals in the Argon prime system where it is safe? You can move on to other systems all the way to the most dangerous systems like Faulty Logic and Atiya's Misfortune.

Several members of the steam community found this out and credit belongs to them.

Scorpion created a thread about the type of weapons used on crystals:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/392160/discussions/0/2806204039999549482/

It gave me a thought related to what the best type of weapon to use on crystals is. Below is the type of weapon used and the impact it has (and please bear in mind that this is measured by the smallest rocks that contain crystals).

1. Pulse - Weak damage but excellent accuracy, burst fire.

• It can take a few shots to take out a crystal
  
• When you miss it damages the asteroid, however damage to the rock is minimal
  
• Recommended to take around 2 pulse weapons to have enough power but not too much

2. Plasma - Massive damage to slow targets with average accuracy, slow moving projectiles.

• Takes one direct hit to take out a crystal
  
• When you miss the rock is destroyed along with the crystal. you might get one fragment back
  
• Not recommended as some asteroids will spin pretty quickly and accuracy is key

3. Bolt - weak damage but great accuacy, rapid firing.

• Takes a few shots to take out a crystal
  
• When you miss, there is a greater chance of causing fair damage to the asteroid
  
• Recommended to take 1 of these, more than one is pretty much overkill

4. Shard - High damage rapid firing, spread damage based on distance.

• Takes one direct hit at very close range (There is a deadzone in front of the weapon to consider)
  
• Varible range with projectile spread which could cause minor damage or asteroid destruction
  
• Not recommended as it is too imprecise a weapon to use on asteroids

Ion, Dumbfire, Tracking and Torpedo either have no effect or way, way too much effect on crystals and missiles cost a lot money (so you make less in the long run if you brought missiles).

FAQ:

QWhat button do you mean when attracting objects into the cargo hold? - Mjahaha

AThe "Container Magnet" button could be different from keyboard to keyboard in various countries. I intentionally left this open for anyone to figure out.

QWhat about those unstable crystals? - Mjahaha

AThose are contraband and are only useful for crafting a bomb. You can sell to a trader or dump them, either way i haven't included them because they aren't part of the money making guide.

QDo i need a mining ship for this task? - 388@0

ANo. When you mine these crystals they appear in your personal inventory. you should be able to mine the entire Argon Prime asteroid field of valuable crystals.

QWhy can't i pick up these crystals with the container magnet? - Darcy

AMake sure you are within 600m of the crystals and then use the magnet. The first objects in your inventory are usually unstable crystals and they are always the first to get sucked up before the other crystals.

Community member suggestions:

Use short range scanner mode around the crystals to locate them better - Hexcaliber

When you are mining for crystals, sometimes you find NPC miners nearby destroying asteroids to collect the resources from within. Uusually after the asteroids are destroyed a number of unstable crystals are left behind along with spacefly eggs, if you collect these you can craft Spacefly cavier that sells for 1,000,000 cr. and the unstables can fetch a tidy stack of credits from nearby pirate stations as well - Scrubo

If you end up in a position where you have multiple twinkles from multiple asteroids? Select each asteroid and press F3 to find out what type of crystal they have on the surface, this way you can pick and choose what crystals are worth taking and which crystals are worth leaving. If you wish to look around the entire asteroid in pan mode? Double tap F3 and use the num pad keys to look around -PlayerWon

Some people on the forum in the past have suggested that Heretic's End is a good spot for crystal hunting. Having been there as well? One could go mad in such a place with so many twinkles! But it is a good spot if Argon Prime is too small an area to hunt in.