Terraria Shimmer: Location, Transmutations & Decrafting

During a 1.4.4 Terraria version update on September 28, 2022, Re-Logic added various content, giving players more gameplay hours. One inclusion is the Shimmer – a rare liquid with unique properties present upon world creation.

This page covers everything about the Shimmer, including its function, location, and transmutations. You’ll also get various permanent boosts from this liquid, so we recommend checking it out!

What is Shimmer and How Does it Work?

The Shimmer appears as a shiny purplish liquid in Terraria. In Pre-Hardmode, you can encounter only a handful compared to an endless amount available upon defeating the Moon Lord. Regardless, the quantity of Shimmer upon the first encounter is enough to perform several unique properties it offers:

Player vs. Shimmer

• Endless Fall. Getting into contact physically or attempting to fish will let you phase through any blocks until an opening is available. Many Terraria players are using this as an exploit to defeat Enraged Empress of Light and even Master Mode playthroughs.
• Shimmering Debuff. Once in contact with the liquid, you won’t be able to move or use items. You’re also invincible from non-boss enemies in that state.

Items vs. Shimmer

• Decrafting. Throwing certain items (table below) will extract their crafting ingredients. This method is good for crafting gear with a chance to get the best modifier possible without paying the Goblin Tinkerer.
• Resource Return. Throwing certain items (table below) will give back common resources for crafting an item. For example, throwing a Copper Pickaxe in the Shimmer will yield Copper Ores. You can do this to profit or other purposes.
• Complete Transmutation. Throwing certain items into the Shimmer (table below) will transform into something. Most are useless, like throwing Luminite and downgrading it into Chlorophyte Ores. However, some conversions are valuable, including Vital Crystal from Life Crystal and Arcane Crystal from Mana Crystal.

Note that we’ve included exclusive Shimmer transmutations in the tables below.

NPCs vs. Shimmer

• Shimmer variants. Faelings and Shimmer Slimes are unique transformations so far. Other enemies coming into contact with the liquid typically become another type of monster.
• Town NPCs. NPCs coming into contact with the Shimmer will change their appearance. This process has no gameplay effect and is for visual purposes.

Successful item transmutations will float upwards, leaving the liquid and acting like Souls. They remain in that state until you pick them up. The same goes for NPCs, although temporarily. 

However, unsuccessful ones will leave items at the bottom of the Shimmer. Enemies will become invisible as well.

There’s more that’s happening to the Shimmer in Terraria. For example, a Hunter Potion will reveal submerged enemies like Werewolves immune to the Shimmering debuff. But it wouldn’t matter as much unless you’re doing an experiment or using exploits.

Where and How to Find the Shimmer in Terraria

Generating a world in Terraria, regardless of its configuration in the menu, will always have the Shimmer. So as early as Pre-Hardmode, head where the Jungle biome is, and expect it slightly near the Ocean. The Shimmer is precisely located in the Underground or Cavern layer, but you’ll certainly find the Aether as you keep digging down.

The Aether biome has a similar background as the Space layer, so take it as a marker.

In Hardmode, defeating the Moon Lord will grant Luminites, which you can craft into Luminite Bars at an Ancient Manipulator. You can then use those Luminite Bars to make the Bottomless Shimmer Bucket.

While you can always move the Shimmer liquid from the Aether biome to a nearby base through Pumps, we don’t recommend it.

Shimmer Item Decrafting

This section lists separate tables for items with multiple recipes, special outputs, random ingredients, temporary non-decraftable, and totally non-craftable. We’ll explain every part.

Note: Using the Shimmer, you can decraft most items in Terraria with no problem. However, these are the exceptions:

Random Ingredients

All items in this list are products from using an Alchemy Table or Placed Bottle. The materials you’ll get when submerging them into the Shimmer are random.

Special Outputs

Five items in Terraria have unique decrafting output when thrown into the Shimmer. There’s no official explanation for this as of this guide’s writing.

Multiple Recipes

Items in the following table have alternative crafting materials available. For example, crafting the Magic Mirror may require Gold Bar or Platinum Bar. However, throwing the same item to the Shimmer will grant Gold Bar instead.

Temporary Non-Decraftable

Assuming you’re successful at locating the Shimmer in Terraria and need resource returns, you won’t be able to unless you defeat a specific boss first.

Post-Skeletron:

Post-Golem:

Totally Non-Decraftable

The following items are impossible to decraft from the Shimmer for good reasons. For example, if you’re planning to wear the Frost armor set, acquiring a Blizzard in a Bottle (early Pre-Hardmode) lets you have Frost Cores. Note that both the armor set and accessory need the latter ingredient, which is only available on Hardmode.

Shimmer Item Transmutations

In this section, you’ll learn about all item transmutations. We’re prioritizing special ones first before others, as the former provides a huge advantage to your Terraria gameplay.

Best Transmutations

Other Transmutations

Critter / Enemy Transmutations

Critters or enemies in Terraria interacting with the Shimmer have varying results, as shown in the table below: