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Destiny 2 Bright Dust, Armour Ornaments and Bright Engrams explained

A close look at Destiny 2's cosmetics and how you can get your hands on them.

Destiny 2 Bright Dust and Bright Engrams are a way of getting hold of cosmetic items, from new Sparrows and Ships to weapon-changing Ornaments.

Though all of the above can involve spending real-world money on loot box-style Bright Engrams, thankfully everything can be unlocked without spending a penny, if you have time on your side and a dose of luck to get what you want.


Note this page is in need of an update with the arrival of Destiny 2's second year, so be aware some content might be out of date. In the meantime, read our Destiny 2 Forsaken guide and how to reach the new Destiny 2 level cap for an overview of what's new and changed. Plus, there's the return of theThorn quest and Thorn Ornament, Wishes of Sorrow, and our trusty friend Xur, too - here's the answer to where is Xur, Xur's location and what Xur's selling this week!


How to get Bright Dust in Destiny 2

Bright Dust is an optional but very useful material when it comes to sourcing the game's many cosmetic items.

While Silver (purchased with real-world money) is used for buying Bright Engrams (which we discuss at the end of this article), Bright Dust allows you to purchase individual items that can be found within these Engrams.

Each week, Eververse will have a set selection 14 items - a mixture of Shaders, Sparrows, Ornaments, Engrams and more - that can be bought with Bright Dust. If nothing takes your fancy, then wait until the next weekly reset for a new inventory to appear.

The next question is, where do you get Bright Dust? It comes from the following sources:

  • Opening Bright Engrams. Like any item inside a Bright Engram, while not guaranteed, there is a chance you'll receive some Bright Dust upon opening.
  • Dismantling Eververse items. Anything you receive from a Bright Engram or purchase from the Eververse shop can be dismantled in return for Bright Dust.

It's worth noting the amount of Bright Dust from dismantling objects not only varies between categories, but even from item to item - meaning Legendary Sparrows will give a similar but not matching amount of Bright Dust, while Exotic Sparrows will be worth more than any other Sparrow. Thanks to the Destiny subreddit for breaking down these items to test this.

Destiny Ornaments - Where to find them and how to use them

Ornaments allow you to change the appearance of Exotic weapons and as of Curse of Osiris, certain Armour pieces.

Armour Ornaments

Armour Ornaments work differently to those from the original Destiny or even weapons, unlocking when completing specific objectives. One example is winning 25 Iron Banner matches will unlock Ornaments for that specific armour set.

Once you have completed the objective, it'll automatically unlock the Ornament on that armour set.

The list of weapon Ornaments in full:

Weapon Ornaments

In order to get your hands on Weapon Ornaments, you can find them from two places:

  • Dropping at random when opening a Bright Engram mystery box
  • Purchased with Bright Dust from Eververse's inventory if it's on sale that week

It means if you want to get your hands on a specific Weapon Ornament, you must either wait until it appears at Eververse on sale, or be lucky enough for it to drop as part of opening a Bright Engram.

The exception to the above is Legend of Acrius Ornament The Emperor's Pleasure, which arrives at the conclusion of the World-Eater Exotic quest.

Other things you should know about Ornaments:

  • To equip an Ornament, go to the weapon's Perk tree, and use the corresponding slot on the far right to select the style of your choice. Unlike during the launch of Rise of Iron, it doesn't cost any material to apply an Ornament.
  • Each select Exotic has one Ornament to find, and unlike Rise of Iron, there are none available for any armor sets.

  • Note: This page is a due a revision with the arrival of Curse of Osiris. We'll be updating this page with new information at a later date.

Destiny 2 Ornament list

WeaponOrnament
ColdheartSub-Zero
Sweet BusinessDown to Business
Vigilance WingBook of the Dead
Graviton LanceParticle Accelerator
SunshotRed Dwarf
SturmSymbiosis
Rat KingBlack Plague
RiskrunnerSummer Storm
MercilessBreak the Dawn
Fighting LionJade Counteance
Tractor CannonUnder Construction
D.A.R.C.I.Mind Of Its Own
The Wardcliff CoilTesla's Revenge
The ProspectorComstock Lode
Hard LightThe Future is Chrome
MIDA Multi-ToolAll The Essentials
Skyburner's OathBeware The Red Legion
Legend of Acrius *The Emperor's Pleasure *

* Legend of Acrius Ornament The Emperor's Pleasure can only be unlocked upon completing the World-Eater Exotic quest.

Coldheart ornament 'Sub-Zero':

Sweet Business ornament 'Down to Business':

Vigilance Wing ornament 'Book of the Dead':

Graviton Lance ornament 'Particle Accelerator':

Sunshot ornament 'Red Dwarf':

Sturm ornament 'Symbiosis':

Rat King ornament 'Black Plague':

Riskrunner ornament 'Summer Storm':

Merciless ornament 'Break the Dawn':

Fighting Lion ornament 'Jade Counteance':

Tractor Cannon ornament 'Under Construction':

D.A.R.C.I. ornament 'Mind Of Its Own':

The Wardcliff Coil ornament 'Tesla's Revenge':

The Prospector ornament 'Comstock Lode':

Hard Light ornament 'The Future is Chrome':

MIDA Multi-Tool ornament 'All The Essentials':

Skyburner's Oath ornament 'Beware The Red Legion':

Legend of Acrius ornament 'The Emperor's Pleasure':

Cover image for YouTube video

The Season of the Deep is here alongside the Into the Depths quest. You can know go fishing too! Don't forget to keep an eye on the Lost Sector and King's Fall challenge rotation schedule!


How to get Bright Engrams in Destiny 2

Similar to Sterling Treasure and Radiant Treasures introduced in the original Destiny, Bright Engrams are a loot box give players a range of consumables.

All players earn a Bright Engram each time they gain a new experience level past the experience cap of level 20. In short, simply playing the game - completing activities and missions, killing enemies and so on - will give you experience, and when you complete the experience gauge you receive a Bright Engram. The more you play Destiny 2 in the end-game, the more you'll receive.

You can also purchase additional Bright Engrams by spending Silver at vendor Tess Everis (Silver is the game's premium currency that can be purchased with real-world cash) at a social space.

As well as single Bright Engrams, there are usually bundles available if you are using Silver. But remember, simply playing will give you a steady access to Bright Engrams, so you can unlock anything cosmetic in the game without spending a penny.