What is the best way to maximize gold find in Diablo 3?
As of patch 1.0.4 the maximum gold find is now capped at 300%. The only exception is Nephalem Valor which can bring the total Gold Find to 375%.
Pre patch information:
According to datamining sites (example) the relevant item affixes are:
- Amulet: Prosperous: Chance to Find Gold Increases by 41-50%
- Ring/Armor/Offhand: Prosperous: Chance to Find Gold Increases by 21-25%
So, here is a try at the most possible gold find.
- Amulet slot: 50%
- All other slots except weapon: 11 * 25% = 275% (head, shoulders, torso, wrists, hands, waist, legs, feet, 2x rings, offhand)
- Helmet gem slot: 31% (Radiant Star Emerald)
- Follower amulet slot: 50% * 20% follower bonus ratio = 10%
- Follower ring and offhand slots: 3 * 25% * 20% follower bonus ratio = 15%
- Nephalem Valor: 75%
- Shrine of Fortune: 25%
- Demon Hunter Ferret Companion: 10%
Total: 491%
There may be some legendaries with increased gold find, so more than this may be possible. However this is not at all realistic, because 1) it would take ages to find perfect "Prosperous" items for all these slots, and 2) your gear would likely be decidedly suboptimal for your class if all you sought was Prosperous items.
Overall, to maximize profit, I think you would do better optimizing for your class's DPS stats, and adding in as much gold find and magic find as you can without hurting your kill rate or survivability.
I hate to make another answer, but the previous answer is wrong.
Maximum value gold find per slot is presently:
Amulet: 40%
Ring: 20%
2H Sword: 25% (Sultan of the Burning Sands legendary)
Quiver: 20%
Shield: 25%
Other Armor: 25%
So, the 8 'common' armor slots cap at 200%.
With a legendary 2H sword, you can get another 25%.
With any 1H and a cap shield, you can get 25%.
With any ranged and a cap quiver, you can get 20%.
Breakdown
Due to quivers having slightly less, the ferrets available bring it up 10%, which makes a demon hunter with quiver and ferrets cap at 30%; or demon hunter with 1h xbow, ferrets, and shield cap at 35%.
The helmet socket is the only socket that can provide additional find. A radiant star emerald can provide 31% additional gold find, though most will only use a 25% as it's the highest you can make without getting a dropped recipe.
The most effective follower is either the templar (with cap gold find shield) or the enchantress (with a cap Sultan of the Burning Sands), two rings, and an amulet.. all at cap. The bonus you get is 20% of theirs, with their cap being (25+20+20+40)/5=21%.
For a demon hunter with 2H ranged equipped, the equipment bonus caps at: 200% (armor) + 10% ferrets + 20% quiver + 31% radiant star emerald + 21% follower + 80% jewelery = 362%.
For a demon hunter with 1H xbow and shield equipped, the equipment bonus caps at: 200% (armor) + 10% ferrets + 25% shield + 31% radiant star emerald + 21% follower + 80% jewelery = 367%.
For all other classes, if they have a shield equipped, the bonus caps at: 200% (armor) + 25% shield + 31% radiant star emerald + 21% follower + 80% jewelery = 357%.
For classes who can use a 2H sword and ignore shield, the Sultan build caps at: 200% (armor) + 25% sultan + 31% radiant star emerald + 21% follower + 80% jewelery = 357%.
If you have 5 stacks of NV, it provides 75% more. A fortune shrine adds 25%.
Summary
So maximum possible gold find is a 1h xbow wielding demon hunter with ferrets and a shield, a capped follower, with 5 NV stacks and a fortune shrine, which can net 467%.
If they use a quiver, and thereby allowing a 2H ranged to clear faster, they are limited to 462%
All other classes, if using a shield, or that particular 2H sword, are limited to 457%.
Without a shield or that particular legendary sword, then all other classes cap at 432%.