# Earning Emeralds

Emeralds are used as the server currency. Players can earn emeralds by trading with villagers, selling items to player-owned shops, leveling up their skills, and voting for the server. Emeralds can be used to buy items, claim land, and invest in real estate on the server in the form of homes and shops.

### Trading With Villagers

Trading with villagers is one of the best ways to earn emeralds on the server. Players can find villagers to trade with using the `/explore markets` command, or use the `/explore markets with <profession>` command to find villagers of a specific [profession](/playing-minecraft/villager-professions.md). For example, players can find farmers to trade with using the `/explore markets with farmer` command.

One of the most profitable ways to earn emeralds is by mining clay and selling it to masons. Players can find clay using the `/explore wilderness` command and looking for lush caves which naturally generate clay. Players can then mine the clay and sell it to masons. Players can find masons to trade with using the `/explore markets with mason` command.

Another very profitable way to earn emeralds is by renting a home and selling crops to farmers. Players can find farmers to trade with using the `/explore markets with farmer`  command.

{% hint style="info" %}
Players can also find villagers to trade with in [The Wilderness Overworld](/land-management/server-worlds.md#the-wilderness-overworld). Players are discouraged from hoarding a large number of villagers in The Wilderness, as doing so may cause them to [get sick and die](/additional-features/non-vanilla-mechanics.md#villagers-getting-sick).
{% endhint %}

### Selling Items To Shops

If you are unable to sell your items to a villager then you may still be able to sell your items to a shop. Shops are owned and managed by players and provide an additional layer of complexity on top of the villager economy by allowing players to trade items with each other even when they are offline. Players can find shops buying a specific item using the `/explore shops buying <item>` command.

### Voting For The Server

Players can also earn up to 100 emeralds per day by [voting for the server](/vote-for-emeralds.md). Voting for the server also helps us get more players. Players can use the `/vote` command to learn how to vote.


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