Shards help regulate the value of crafting items. ex: 3 ores to make an ingot; 2 ingots to make a plate; one plate to make... whatever. However, each step takes at least one shard, which means that no matter how prices fluctuate or material costs shift, the ingots will always be inherently more valuable than the ore, and the plate will always be more valuable than the ingots. The shards act as a "lowest common denominator" to insert value into material.s