I've downloaded gem via:
git clone https://git.iem.at/pd/Gem.pd

i then put the Gem directory in the bin directory.

After that inside the Gem folder I ran ./autogen.sh

then:
./configure
./make
./make install

I then also ran:

./make
./make install

...in the source file, (to make sure :S)

i then opened pd from the terminal with:

pd -lib Gem

and the pd window says the following

.....so it looks like thats what you need to do to install gem at least on arch linux, however.

objects such as [gemhead] are recognized but they dont generate a help file?
...and unfortunately [gemwin] isnt recognized as an object at all, confusingly.

May someone interrogate my process here to potentially bring some light on these issues?

@Fauveboy you are missing the abstractions of Gem, simply try to add the path to pd where the gemwin.pd reside.

Okay I've set up a few paths including:

bin/Gem/examples
bin/Gem/abstractions
bin/Gem
bin/Gem/help
root/pd/externals

Hopefully you can see that the objects are now recognized, so thats good.

if I want to right clicked to access a help file, hopefully you can see in the picture, within the pd window you may notice it says "sorry, couldn't find help ..." despite the path being in place?

If I want a help file I have to go through my file system and find the patch I want from within the Gem directory in bin which obviously isn't as convenient.

is there some knowledge im clearly missing here?