https://imgur.com/a/SH8K8En

Everyone needs it. No-one buys it.

A gem rush will win you more games than you realize. Look at that data! Gem carriers win 85% of their games.

(Yes, you probably dropped it if you lost)

But the point is that Gem is an exceedingly strong item! And for those supports scared of dying and dropping it. these are the things to consider:

1. Deward 9 wards and the gem is free
2. If you are likely to buy more than 9 sentries in the game. Just get a gem instead. It's cheaper and gives you gold back.
3. Get 2 kills on an invis hero and the gem is free
4. If there is an invis hero. They are probably looking for you. If you have a gem. You've turned them into nothing but a massive creep.
5. 900 gold turns a support (prey) into a nightmare (hunter).
6. Enemies will focus you. Good! Time spent trying to get to you is more time they aren't attacking your carry

If I see a legion Commander in my game. At first night I will put a ward at in one of their jungles. I don't care if it gets dewarded. I just need to see if Legion is has a Claymore or Amulet. If so, Gem rush time. Because at that point. All this hero (and invis dependant heroes in general) can do is watch and hope that at some point a free kill comes their way. That's 900 gold to turn all teamfights into a 5v4.

If I told you there was a 900 gold item that kept an enemy hero in stasis and in their fountain during teamfights. Every support and utility player in the game would snap my hand off for it. Valve gives you gem and you don't touch it.

If you get any of your gem milestones (9 dewards or 2 kills), and you lose gem. Wait 9 minutes. And buy another one. Make your enemy understand that you will give them nothing for free. That they will have to work hard for every advantage that they want. That there is no such thing as "buy shadow blade get free initiation". That in games with you, it's "buy shadow blade, spend 10 minutes trying to find a way to get the gold back".

I have played several games where the enemy has straight up just sold their shadow blade. Sometimes as a support you can't win the game for your team. But you can always make enemy cores know. You are better than them. That gold and Exp can't buy skill. And that they're your bitch and they only get, what you allow them to.

TL:DR - Buy a bloody gem!