Where to find a Somber Smithing Stone in Elden Ring

sportskeeda.com:

There are plenty of upgrades in Elden Ring, but the Somber Smithing stone is one of the most important for players who decide to use special weapons. Many of the weapons that have specific Ashes of War and are tied to a boss will be considered special.

Using the normal Smithing Stones simply won't cut it, but a rare weapon means rare upgrades. Somber Smithing Stones are typically rarer than the standard Smithing Stone, even if upgrades only require one stone at each level. This also means that players need to choose wisely with the weapons they upgrade. For those that are sure, there is a fairly simple way to get the first Somber Stone.

In Elden Ring, Somber Smithing Stones and other upgrade items are marked by a "(1)" symbol to mark their level within the game. They simply go up by one level each time rather than getting an entirely new name such as a slab or a chunk. To start upgrading special weapons, players must find the Somber Smithing Stone (1), and they can't use anything higher to skip that.

Where to pick up the first Somber Stone:

Make sure to watch out for any enemies that may attack, as one can fall to their death behind this building. With any luck, picking up the stone will be easy work.

To get the next set of stones, players will need to go north past Stormveil Castle. They can either defeat Godrick and cross that area or use the path beside the castle to continue adventuring.

The second or "(2)" stone can be found east of the lakes, while a third "(3)" stone can be found directly within the Academy building on the lakes. Upgrades will continue to go all the way up to at least 10, so players should keep an eye out as they loot in Elden Ring.