I noticed that Shards are really a problem, they are common but u can gather them only ONE BY ONE.
They reached higher price than Crystals, even because for the 50HQ items that u need to craft for Master tools u will use 21 shard for each recipe.
I have just 2 Suggestion.
Shard Drop
Allow Gatherer to gain a trait or a tool that give u a trait (or what u want) that will make you costantly drop directly 3 Shard any time (and maybe do another trait for doubling crystals drop).
The actual skill that enhance the drops use 400 GP, so it will just earn u about 12 shard every 1.20 mins. Not a big deal.
Break Crystals and Clausters using Deaspected Shards and Crystals
In the 1.0 if my memory assist me the alchemist did something of really important, he was able to break Clauster in order to obtain Crystals, and Crystals in order to obtain Shards.
Probably if SE will regive this skill to the Alchemist it would be a little "too strong" XD
But I tought, if sometimes when u use crystals and Shard during crafting they will drop an Deaspected Shard/Crystal (or even clauster) and alchemist can "fill" them the elemental propriety breaking an higher level crystal, wouldn't it be a nice adjustment?
An example for recipes:
Cost: 1Water Crystal, 8 Deaspected Shards
Result: 8 Whater Shards
Cost: 1 fire Clauster, 5 Deaspected Crystals
Result: 5 Fire Crystals
It's annoying to see that Shard is more expensive that Crystals XD
Ps. The Deaspected Crystals shoud be putted in the Crystal box, not in the inventory
Damn I posted i nthe wrong forum, someone know how to move the theard to "Items, Synthesis, and Gathering"?