What determines how many alteration/transmutation shards an item sells for?

Question

You get alteration shards for selling identified magic/rare items and transmutation shards for selling unidentified items.

I have not been able to figure out a way to determine how many shards are given to me for a given item. Is the sale price dependent on your character's level? Item rarity? Type of magic property? Or something else that I have not thought of? Maybe a little of randomness is involved?

It just doesn't make sense to be only able to sell a rare for only 1 shard.

Answer 1

In transmutation shards case it's about rarity of the unidentified item. And in the case of alteration shards it's about the mods on the item.

This are the recipes:

Transmutation Shards

Transmutation Shard x2:

• item (magic, unidentified) x1

Transmutation Shard x5:

• item (rare, unidentified) x1

Alteration Shards

Alteration Shard x1:

• item with cold resistance mod x1
• item with critical strike chance for spells mod x1
• item with fire resistance mod x1
• item with lifegain on enemy death mod (with maxed value) x1
• item with lightning resistance mod x1
• item with mana gain on enemy kill mod "absorbtion" x1
• item with life gain on enemy hit mod x1

Alteration Shard x2:

• item with strength mod x1
• item with intelligence mod x1
• item with dexterity mod x1
• item with attack speed mod x1
• item with cast speed mod x1
• item with life leech mod x1
• item with mana leech mod x1
• item with critical strike damage multiplier mod x1
• item with critical strike chance mod x1
• flask with "Bubbling" mod x1
• flask with "Catalyzed" mod x1
• flask with "Fending" mod x1
• flask with "Caustic" mod x1
• flask with "Seething" mod x1
• flask effect "Inspiring" mod x1
• flask effect "Refilling" mod x1
• flask effect "Recovering" mod x1
• flask effect "Savouring" mod x1
• flask effect "Sipping" mod x1
• item with "Plunder" mod x1
• item with "Collecting" mod x1
• item with weapon only increased spell damage and mana mod x1
• item with cold resistance mod (with maxed value) x1
• item with fire resistance mod (with maxed value) x1
• item with lightning resistance mod (with maxed value) x1
• item with "Magpie's" mod (item rarity refix) x1
• item with increased spell damage mod x1

Alteration Shard x3:

• tem with elemental resistance mod x1
• item with physical damage scaling and accuracy mod x1
• item with energy shield mod x1
• item with all attribute mod x1
• item with added cold damage mod x1
• item with added fire damage mod x1
• item with added lightning damage mod x1

Alteration Shard x4:

• item with maximum life mod x1
• item with weapon fire damage mod x1
• item with weapon cold damage mod x1
• item with weapon lightning damage mod x1
• item with physical damage scaling mod x1
• item with physical damage mod x1
• item with spell damage scaling mod x1
• item with energy shield scaling mod x1
• item with armour mod x1
• item with evasion mod x1
• item with evasion scaling mod x1
• item with armour and energy shield scaling mod x1
• item with armour and evasion scaling mod x1
• item with energy shield and stun recovery mod x1
• item with armour and stun recovery mod x1
• item with evasion and stun recovery mod x1
• item with movement velocity mod x1
• item with all attribute mod x1 (with maxed value)

Alteration Shard x6:

• item with life leech mod (at maxed value) x1
• item with elemental resistance mod (at maxed value) x1

Alteration Shard x7:

• item with "Collecting" mod (at maxed value) x1
• item with damage scaling mod (at maxed value) x1
• item with "Plunder" mod (at maxed value) x1

Alteration Shard x8:

• item with weapon only lightning damage mod (at maxed value) x1
• item with physical damage scaling mod (at maxed value) x1

Source Vendor Recipes