Only [[weapon]]s, [[helm]]s, and [[shield]]s and [[body armor]] can have sockets, with [[body armor]] added being the new addition to the list in the [[Expansion]]. No [[boot]]s, [[glove]]s, [[belt]]s, or [[jewelry]] will ever be [[socket]]ed, not even and this includes [[Uniques]].

* The number of sockets is fixed in Diablo II, all helms have 2, and all shields and weapons have 3, unless the item is only 2 spaces tall in inventory (bucklers, daggers) in which case it has but two sockets.* In the Expansion items can vary a lot more in their number of sockets. Helms can have from 1-4, Body armor 1-4, weapons 1-6, and shields 1-4. Full details elsewhere in our the [[Items]] section.

Once a gem is inserted into a socket, it is there forever, and can't be upgraded in quality, so be sure you want to put a gem in before you do. However, there is a [[Horadric cube recipe]] which will allow a player to remove items from a socketed weapon. The items within the sockets are destroyed in the process.

In the [[Expansion]] you can only buy [[magic]]al equipment, so you can never buy anything socketed from the [[NPCs]] (unless someone else in your game sells a socketed item, and you then buy it from the NPC). Sockets can be found on normal or [[superior]] items, and can be made in magical, [[rare]], [[unique]], and [[set]] items, either with [[Horadric Cube]] recipes, or as an [[Act Five]] quest reward. The maximum number of sockets is never more than the spaces an item takes up in inventory, and you can only get 1 socket in Rares, and only one or sometimes two in Sets and Uniques. Two or sometimes three in magical items.