Quicksilver is the supporting actor of Skyrim smithing: rarely the star, but always on set. The Quicksilver Ingot, worth 60 gold, goes into 27 forge recipes, usually just one ingot each. It is part of all Elven weapons and the Elven Gilded Armor, and in Dragonborn it joins Nordic Carved armor, Nordic weapons and the 
Stalhrim set.
How to get it
Two 
Quicksilver Ore make one ingot at the smelter. The biggest cluster lies outdoors near the Forgotten Vale (Dawnguard) with 12 veins, while the aptly named Quicksilver Mine in Dawnstar has 5. Arcwind Point and Blind Cliff Bastion have 3 each.
Blacksmiths such as Aquillius Aeresius, Birna or Brand-Shei may sell it, and bandits occasionally carry a few.
Loose ingots are rare: there are 3 outdoors near Anga’s Mill and 3 in Fellglow Keep, plus 2 each in Castle Dour, the Bards College and Blind Cliff Bastion.
Since most recipes only need a single ingot, a small stockpile goes a long way. Pick up any you find while exploring and you will rarely need to make a special trip for more.
Smelting and tanning
- 2 Quicksilver Ore → 1 Quicksilver Ingot at the smelter
Used to craft
Quicksilver Ingot appears in 28 recipes in the game files.
Armor
- Elven Armor – Elven Gilded Armor (1)
- Stalhrim Armor – Stalhrim Helmet (1), Stalhrim Gauntlets (1), Stalhrim Armor (1), Stalhrim Boots (1)
- Nordic Carved Armor – Nordic Carved Helmet (1), Nordic Carved Gauntlets (1), Nordic Carved Armor (1), Nordic Carved Boots (1), Nordic Shield (1)
Weapons and other items
- Elven Smithing: Elven Bow (1), Elven Warhammer (1), Elven War Axe (1), Elven Sword (1), Elven Mace (1), Elven Greatsword (1), Elven Dagger (1), Elven Battleaxe (1)
- Advanced Armors: Nordic Arrow (1), Nordic Warhammer (1), Nordic War Axe (1), Nordic Sword (1), Nordic Mace (1), Nordic Greatsword (1), Nordic Dagger (1), Nordic Bow (1), Nordic Battleaxe (1)
- Dwarven Smithing: Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow (2)
The number in brackets is how many Quicksilver Ingot each recipe needs. Bold labels are the Smithing perk the recipe requires.
Improving gear
At a grindstone or workbench, Quicksilver Ingot is the material used to improve (temper) 20 items, including Elven Armor, Nordic Carved Armor.
Good to know
- Quicksilver Ingots temper Dragonbane and Bolar’s Oathblade.
- Two of them go into the Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow at Fort Dawnguard.
Data from the Skyrim game files (Skyrim.esm and the official add-ons): value, weight, ore veins, recipes and merchant lists. ID 0005ADA0 is the item’s form ID for the console.
