Why is the black star filled with a human soul so expensive?

Question

I want to minimize cost when I enchant and I've already lost 2 daedric items because I believe I didn't use the proper gem. Most likely I use the black star or a grand soul gem filled with a grand soul but most likely I'm looking at the price of the gem. A grand soul gem filled with a petty soul is pretty affordable. My situation is that I have 2 steel armor with a 17,5% more enchantment then on the daedric armor. Hence looking at the price of the black star it is usually 1000 septimes but a grand soul is 500 septimes.

Is the black star better filled? Is there are better bigger soul then grand soul gem filled with a grand soul worth a 500 septimes?

Answer 1

I think you are mixing up Black Star and Black Soul Gem.

Black Star is a reuseable Black Soul Gem, which you get from a quest, where you can choose Azura's Star or the Black Star.

Black Soul Gems differ from Grand Soul Gems in that they can contain human souls (which ordinary soulgems can't).

Answer 2

The reason the Black Star is valued at 1000g compared to the Grand Soul Gems 500g is due to the fact that the Black Star is a Daedric Artifact given as a quest reward. It's a one of a kind item, whereas Grand Soul Gems are about as common as those wooden plates you accidentally pick up when trying to grab a few loose septims lying on a table.

Also, the Black Star can capture human souls. Grand Soul Gems cannot.

Answer 3

Every human soul (aka Black Soul) is grand by default. Under these circumstances the Black Star is a great item. And this is why the filled Black Star is so expensive: it contains a grand soul.