[@Raijinslayer] Well the experiment can't be performed without at least some shards to base the new gem off of. Blood would probably be at the front lines anyways and if one of his soldiers were injured he would most likely run to his aid and if said soldier died then Blood would gather his shards since during the middle of the war is when Blood started his experiments.

Edit: And what Akaya said is a good point. Blood wouldn't be able to let a friend, a loyal soldier, to just sit there in pieces.