Custom weapon finishes in Counter-Strike have long been a staple of the game, with some being more special than others. One of the most iconic finishes across multiple weapons is the Case Hardened variation, a one of a kind skin that features the colors red, blue, and yellow in multiple available patterns for players to obtain. Due to their rarity, a specific subset emerges as the holy grail for collectors – the Case Hardened Blue Gem. This goes for any and all skins that have the Case Hardened finish: the cleaner the blue on the gun, the more valuable.
The Mac-10, which is one of the most popular SMG options in Counter-Strike, has also received the Case Hardened finish in addition to the numerous elite skins available for the weapon. There are multiple Mac-10 Case Hardened patterns in the game when it comes to the “Blue Gem” variation, with some fetching more of a premium than others.
Why is Case Hardened So Valuable?
Case Hardened skins are a popular choice among Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players due to their unique metallic finish and varying patterns. Among these, Blue Gems are particularly sought after for their intense blue coloration. The value of a Blue Gem is primarily determined by two factors: the extent of blue coverage and the pattern complexity. A higher percentage of blue coverage generally indicates greater rarity and value. Additionally, intricate and unique patterns can significantly increase a Blue Gem’s desirability.
Of course, even with all the Case Hardened variants out there that boast a very blue-dominant look, there are some that stand out a whole lot more because of where it appears on the skin. Common favorites are the “Scar Pattern” or completely blue topside of notable weapons such as the AK-47. These will fetch a higher price than others with, say, a completely blue magazine or even a completely blue backside of said weapon. While wear and tear can affect the value of other skins, it has a less pronounced impact on Blue Gems. The pattern is the primary determinant of value, and even a well-worn Blue Gem with a stunning pattern can command a high price. However, a pristine condition can add a slight premium due to its enhanced visual appeal.
At the end of the day, Blue Gem Case Hardened skins offer a combination of aesthetic appeal and collectible value. Their unique blue coloration and intricate patterns make them highly desirable among CS2 players and collectors. Even if a specific pattern is not completely a Blue Gem, owning a Case Hardened skin is still a unique and exciting experience due to their variety.
Mac-10 Case Hardened Blue Gems are a variety of designs brought together by a singular element: a stunning blue majority throughout most of the weapon’s body. The effect is a visually stunning blue masterpiece with very few or no yellow accents.
These patterns are unique since Case Hardened designs were produced in many unique ways. Each Mac-10 Case Hardened skin is given a different pattern value that establishes the specific color distribution. Designs that are considered Blue Gems are just a tiny, albeit extremely valuable, sample of what is possible.
Multiple Blue Gem patterns for the Mac-10 Case Hardened exist, with some being better than others. It’s worth noting, however, that unlike most weapons that are available in the Case Hardened finish, no Blue Gem variation of the Mac-10 features a completely clean, blue play side.
Closest to Perfection: Mac-10 Case Hardened Blue Gem Pattern #667
This pattern of the Mac-10 Case Hardened Blue Gem has the most amount of blue near the barrel of the weapon, spreading mostly around the front portion of the “play side”. Gold is more predominant towards the back end of the Mac-10, however this specific seed pattern is already considered the best to a pure Blue Gem.
Evenly Spread: Mac-10 Case Hardened Blue Gem Pattern #95
Some would argue that this specific pattern for the Mac-10 Case Hardened is better than the #667, but at the end of the day it all boils down to personal preference. The entire backside of the Mac-10, as well as a good portion of the top is covered in a clean blue finish, wrapping around evenly to even the non-visible side when holding the weapon in a hip fire position.
Other Blue Gem Patterns
All the other Mac-10 Case Hardened Blue Gem patterns currently in Counter-Strike are listed as follows:
| Tier 1 | 667, 114, 406, 18, 546, 587, 222, 95, 239, 898, 315 |
| Tier 2 | 503, 959, 924, 29, 147, 414, 311, 195, 328, 652, 251, 570, 379, 964, 400, 598, 199, 807, 885, 788, 475, 899, 285, 889, 6, 972, 358, 381, 182, 345, 629, 292, 80, 144 |
| Tier 3 | 34, 831, 808, 346, 41, 295, 811, 208, 309, 644, 436, 933, 108, 464, 657, 58, 72, 705, 960, 528, 858, 376, 378, 561, 19, 119, 553, 944, 241, 801, 153, 76, 523, 501, 313, 566, 349, 871, 458, 214, 525, 880, 699, 602, 669, 369, 138, 748, 402, 390, 434, 835, 579, 633, 720, 111, 127, 604, 473, 156, 107, 658, 457, 8, 242, 10, 190, 707, 573, 185, 716, 502, 735, 117, 453, 255, 399, 751, 881, 424, 403 |
| Tier 4 | 203, 839, 867, 721, 141, 679, 280, 741, 430, 220, 507, 714, 866, 979, 88, 753, 306, 283, 440, 768, 293, 704, 793, 173, 586, 372, 877, 332, 316, 923, 990, 612, 164, 159, 22, 13, 356, 837, 103, 958, 206, 128, 24, 623, 709, 314, 577, 451, 442, 617, 615, 806, 819, 533, 500, 560, 513, 804, 518, 785, 445, 425, 897, 342, 398, 61, 273, 456, 931, 32, 116, 282, 176, 59, 299, 618, 764, 838, 630, 928, 829, 191, 531, 443, 613, 256, 264, 275, 250, 367, 253, 830, 180, 792, 421, 455, 429, 466, 163, 489, 715, 373, 56, 52, 847, 919, 27, 632, 279, 904, 441, 162, 894, 499, 362, 655, 78, 859, 269, 873, 672, 569, 198, 968, 746, 67, 7, 462, 703, 506, 640, 136, 922, 143, 995, 650, 118, 926, 982, 583, 747, 710, 917, 778, 749, 135, 371, 913 |