Enchanting — Disenchanting yields

Only crafted pieces can be disenchanted, whether you made them or bought them from other players. Loot never can. Crafted pieces need at least 100 points to yield Essence. Jewellery usually provides the largest yields.

A weapon or armour piece gives Essence based on its pattern, regardless of metal: an Iron Helm yields as much as a Daedric one, even though the Daedric Helm has more Enchantment capacity. Jewellery includes its metal and crafting-gem bonuses; see Jewellery enchantment capacity.

Item material determines disenchanting experience. Higher-tier jewellery gives more experience, while items more than two tiers below your rank give only a quarter of normal experience. Cloth-only equipment qualifies only when its cloth was made by the crafter and the item was never sold.