So I just got my first socketed item (Expedition Forager Leggings) and I was SO EXCITED, because HEY, SOCKETS! :D :D :D They're awesome, right?? RIGHT??

So I went and bought couple of gems, lowish because they were less expensive, but still, +30 agility and +30 hit rating, not too bad, and only then noticed the "requires item level [#]" on each of the gems. So I scampered over to my mailbox and discovered I'd bought two "requires item level 285" gems for an item that's level 90. 90.

So I went back to look for some that are lower level, but there are like 400 gems for sale of each color, and every single one I checked either said nothing about fitting a socket or required item level 285. So I started hunting around online for something that would tell me how this item level/gem level thing works, what gems are there for items below 285, and can't find anything! NOTHING that talks about item level and sockets!

I'm seriously SO DISAPPOINTED. So disappointed! I'm banking the fucking things because compared to the non-socketed leggings I already have, they're CRAP.

Can anyone explain to me either what gems will go into items level 90, or what the fuck good these sockets are? I know they must be good for something, it's not just a mean-spirited trick played on newbies by the programmers, so WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK?

Seriously y'all, so disappointed I could almost cry.