Gold Bars are an essential late-game crafting material in Moonlight Peaks, used to upgrade several of your most important tools. Although the Furnace recipe becomes available relatively early, you won’t be able to craft Gold Bars until much later because Gold Ore is locked behind story progression.

Here’s how to unlock Gold Ore, smelt Gold Bars, and use them to upgrade your equipment.

Where to Find Gold Ore

Gold Ore is found inside the Cave of Echoes, specifically in its eastern and northern sections.

  • Eastern Cave of Echoes: Accessible after unlocking Mermaid Form, which allows you to swim across water.
  • Northern Cave of Echoes: Requires Bat Form, which lets you fly over ledges.

Since Mermaid Form is unlocked before Bat Form, you can begin mining Gold Ore as soon as you gain the ability to swim.

The Cave of Echoes is located in the southwestern corner of Misty Shores, the same mining area where you’ll find Copper and Iron deposits.

Pickaxe Requirements

Not all Gold Ore deposits can be mined with the same tool.

  • Small Gold Ore nodes: Iron Pickaxe
  • Large Gold Ore nodes: Gold Pickaxe

Bringing the strongest pickaxe available will make mining runs much more efficient.

How to Unlock Mermaid Form

Mermaid Form is obtained by progressing through the main story and completing the “A Mermaid’s Wish” quest.

While the exact date varies depending on how quickly you advance the story, the quest always appears after a specific chain of story events.

The progression follows this order:

  • A Curious Passage: Ludo asks you to investigate the legend of the mermaids.
  • The Mysterious Bay: Samuel reflects on a lost love.
  • Ludo’s Plan: Ludo and Ridge repair the bridge connecting Howling Marshes and Luna Bay.
  • A Mermaid’s Wish: Samuel proposes to Kim, leading to a request for Yabbis to brew a potion.
  • Mermaid Form Unlocked: Yabbis creates the potion, granting the mermaids legs while also giving you Mermaid Form, allowing you to swim.

Once Mermaid Form is unlocked, you’ll be able to reach the eastern section of the Cave of Echoes and begin collecting Gold Ore.

How to Craft Gold Bars

After gathering enough Gold Ore, return to a Furnace to smelt it into Gold Bars.

Item Crafting Station Recipe Gold Bar Furnace 4 Gold Ore, 1 Charcoal

Charcoal is also produced in the Furnace by burning Wood.

If you haven’t built one yet, the Furnace itself is crafted at a Workbench using:

  • 15 Copper Ore
  • 5 Refined Stone

What Gold Bars Are Used For

Gold Bars are required to purchase every Gold-tier tool from Ridge at the Howling Hammer shop.

Tool Cost Gold Axe 16,000 Coins, Iron Axe, 3 Gold Bars Gold Pickaxe 16,000 Coins, Iron Pickaxe, 3 Gold Bars Gold Shovel 16,000 Coins, Iron Shovel, 3 Gold Bars Gold Watering Can 16,000 Coins, Iron Watering Can, 3 Gold Bars Premium Fishing Rod 16,000 Coins, Fishing Rod, 3 Gold Bars

Each upgrade also requires the corresponding Iron tool, so you’ll need to progress through earlier equipment tiers before moving on to Gold.

Although Gold Bars become available relatively late in Moonlight Peaks, they’re a key milestone in your progression. Unlocking Mermaid Form opens access to Gold Ore, and once you’ve established a steady supply, you’ll be able to craft the Gold Bars needed for some of the game’s strongest tool upgrades.