Spelunky is © 2008, 2009 Derek Yu and Mossmouth, LLC, and is used under the [Spelunky User License v1.1b](https://spelunky.ai/LICENSE.txt). spelunky.ai is an unofficial fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Mossmouth. The game and its assets may not be sold. Music by George Buzinkai and Jonathan Perry; sound effects made in SFXR. From Spelunky Classic 1.1, © 2008, 2009 Derek Yu and Mossmouth, LLC. # Big Ruby From the spelunky.ai wiki: . Verified against the spelunky.ai port [v0.1.10](https://github.com/851-labs/spelunky/releases/tag/v0.1.10) on 28 October 2026. *For the small gem, see [Ruby](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ruby).* The Big Ruby is a gem in Spelunky Classic worth $1,600 in the Mines and more deeper down, buried in rock, lying in nooks, and in the Snake and Sacrifice Pits. ![A faceted red gem, cut in a diamond shape](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/media/06c990e56f8ec86f/sprites/sRubyBig/frames/0%404x.png) | Big Ruby | | | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Value | $1,600[^1] | | Object | `oRubyBig` | | Found in | [The Mines](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/mines), [The Jungle](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/jungle), [The Ice Caves](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ice-caves), [The Temple](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/temple), [Olmec's Lair](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/olmecs-lair), [City of Gold](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/city-of-gold), [Graveyard level](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/restless-dead), [Snake pit](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/snake-pit), Sacrifice pit (In the blocks of the pit's floor)[^2], Tutorial | | Dropped by | [Alien Boss](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/alien-boss), [Chest](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/chest), [Giant Spider](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/giant-spider), [Jar](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/jar) | It's the most valuable of the three big gems, worth more than a [Big Sapphire](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-sapphire) or a [Big Emerald](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-emerald), and four times a small [Ruby](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ruby). Besides the rock and the nooks where level generation puts every big gem, two special rooms are built with Big Rubies in them. The player collects one by touching it; a [Ghost](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ghost) that touches one turns it into a [Diamond](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/diamond). ## Value A Big Ruby's base value is $1,600, and it's worth a quarter of that more for each area past the Mines, the code counting [Olmec's Lair](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/olmecs-lair) as an area of its own[^3][^4]: | Area | Value | | ---------------------------------------------------- | ------ | | [The Mines](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/mines) | $1,600 | | [The Jungle](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/jungle) | $2,000 | | [The Ice Caves](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ice-caves) | $2,400 | | [The Temple](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/temple) | $2,800 | | [Olmec's Lair](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/olmecs-lair) | $3,200 | ## Locations ### In the rock **Clip: Spectacles reveal buried treasure.** The player picks up a pair of spectacles in a cave of bricks. At once climbing gloves and four big gems buried in the bricks around him show through them. ([video](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/media/06c990e56f8ec86f/clips/spectacles/reveal/clip.mp4)) Each block of rock that isn't a gold vein (71 in 100 aren't) and isn't on the level's edge rolls for a big gem inside it. The Big Ruby's roll comes last, once the [Big Sapphire](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-sapphire)'s and the [Big Emerald](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-emerald)'s fail: | Area | Chance for each block | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---- | | [The Mines](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/mines) | 1 in 140, once the rolls for a Big Sapphire (1 in 100) and a Big Emerald (1 in 120) fail | [^5] | | [The Jungle](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/jungle) | 1 in 120, once the rolls for a Big Sapphire (1 in 80) and a Big Emerald (1 in 100) fail | [^6] | | [The Ice Caves](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ice-caves) | 1 in 80, once the rolls for a Big Sapphire (1 in 40) and a Big Emerald (1 in 60) fail | [^7] | | [The Temple](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/temple) and [Olmec's Lair](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/olmecs-lair) | 1 in 100, once the rolls for a Big Sapphire (1 in 60) and a Big Emerald (1 in 80) fail | [^8] | The Tutorial's bricks roll as the Mines' do[^9]. In the Temple, one block of rock in 100 is the Jungle's earth, which rolls at the Jungle's odds, and one in ten a stone block, which holds no gem[^10][^11]. The [City of Gold](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/city-of-gold)'s temple blocks are gold instead, and don't roll for gems[^12], but its blocks of earth still do[^13]. A buried gem stays where it is, hidden behind the rock, until the block around it is destroyed, by a [Bomb](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/bomb) or a [Mattock](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/mattock) for instance; then it drops out. With the [Spectacles](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/spectacles) or the [Udjat Eye](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/udjat-eye), treasure is drawn in front of the rock, so the buried gems show through it[^14]. In the clip, the player picks up a pair of Spectacles in a cave of bricks, and the big gems buried around him, two Big Rubies among them, show through the rock[^15]. ### In special rooms - **A [snake pit](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/snake-pit)**, a shaft of rooms off a Mines level's main path, full of [Snakes](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/snake): its bottom room holds two Big Rubies[^16][^17]. - **The Sacrifice Pit**, a Temple level: the six blocks of the pit's floor, under its pool of lava, each hold one, which it lets out when it's destroyed[^2][^18][^19]. ### On the ground Level generation gives each block outside a shop with open space above it, away from the entrance, the exit and a [Golden Idol](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/golden-idol), a roll for what lies on it, in every area, once its rolls for a [Rock](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/rock) (1 in 100) and a [Jar](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/jar) (1 in 40) fail[^20]. A big gem comes late in it: | Spot | Chance | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | | A nook one block high with a wall beside it | 1 in 10, once the rolls for a [Web](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/web), a [Crate](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/crate) (1 in 10), a Chest (1 in 15), a [Damsel](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/damsel) (1 in 8), bones, a [Gold Bar](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/gold-bar) (1 in 3), [Gold Bars](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/gold-bars) (1 in 6), a Big Emerald (1 in 6) and a Big Sapphire (1 in 8) fail | [^21] | | A gap one block wide between two walls | 1 in 10, once the rolls for a web, a Gold Bar (1 in 4), Gold Bars (1 in 8), bones, a Big Emerald (1 in 8) and a Big Sapphire (1 in 9) fail | [^22] | | The [City of Gold](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/city-of-gold)'s treasure vaults | 1 in 120, the first roll | [^23] | | Some of [Olmec's Lair](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/olmecs-lair)'s tiles | 1 in 10, once the rolls for a Chest (1 in 15), Gold Bars (1 in 6), a Big Emerald (1 in 6) and a Big Sapphire (1 in 8) fail | [^24] | | A grave on a Jungle [graveyard level](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/restless-dead), in the block under it | 1 in 8, once the rolls for a [Gold Nugget](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/gold-nugget) (1 in 2), a Big Sapphire (1 in 4) and a Big Emerald (1 in 6) fail | [^25] | On a Mines level that's still to place the Udjat Eye's locked chest, a nook that gets no web rolls for the chest and nothing else[^26]. On a level with the chest, level generation then turns one treasure that isn't inside rock, picked at random, into the chest's key[^27][^13]. The Tutorial has one lying on a high ledge[^28], and the level editor's `7` tile is one[^29]. ### Dropped | Source | Chance | | | -------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- | | A [Jar](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/jar) broken | 1 in 12, once the rolls for a [Gold Chunk](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/gold-chunk) (1 in 3), a Gold Nugget (1 in 6), a Big Emerald (1 in 12) and a Big Sapphire (1 in 12) fail | [^30] | | A [Chest](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/chest) opened | 1 in 4 a big gem, with the small ones, and one chance in three it's a Big Ruby | [^31] | | A [Giant Spider](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/giant-spider) killed | One to three big gems, each a Big Ruby one chance in three | [^32] | | An [Alien Boss](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/alien-boss) killed | Four big gems, each a Big Ruby one chance in three | [^33] | | The Lady Xoc statue, in the City of Gold | One of its blocks, dropping two when it's destroyed | [^34][^35][^13] | ## Collecting **Clip: A big ruby from a Chest.** The player opens a chest on a high ledge of the Tutorial. An emerald, a sapphire, a ruby and a big ruby spill out around his feet. He stands among them, collecting nothing, until 20 steps later he takes the big ruby and walks off; the small ruby, which fell off the ledge, he collects below. ([video](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/media/06c990e56f8ec86f/clips/big-ruby/chest/clip.mp4)) The player collects a Big Ruby by touching it while he isn't stunned or dead; the one he takes is the treasure nearest him, one a step[^36]. It's made uncollectable, and its own alarm, set to 20 steps (0.67 seconds) when it's made, makes it collectable[^37][^38], so one fresh out of a Jar, a Chest or a monster lies a moment before the player can take it. In the clip, a Chest on the Tutorial's high ledge opens into a small [Emerald](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/emerald), [Sapphire](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/sapphire) and Ruby and a Big Ruby, around the player's feet. He collects nothing for 20 steps, then the Big Ruby, the nearest, as he walks off the other way; he picks up the small Ruby, which fell off the ledge, below it[^39]. Its value shows under his money and is counted into it after a short pause; whatever is left is counted at once when he leaves the level[^40][^41]. A gem plays its own sound, where gold plays the coin's[^42], and the screen between levels shows each Big Ruby collected on the level[^43]. A loose one falls and comes to rest like other treasure, moving only while it's on the screen; a [Web](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/web) it falls into holds it, and lava it sinks into destroys it[^44][^45]. **The Ghost.** A [Ghost](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ghost) that touches a Big Ruby turns it into a [Diamond](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/diamond), in the same place[^46]. The Ghost drifts through walls, so it does this to gems still buried in the rock too[^47][^13]. ## Trivia - Only the three big gems have code for a Ghost's touch, so a Ghost passes over the small gems, gold and a Diamond and leaves them as they are[^46]. ## FAQ ### How much is a Big Ruby worth in Spelunky Classic? $1,600 in the Mines, $2,000 in the Jungle, $2,400 in the Ice Caves, $2,800 in the Temple and $3,200 in Olmec's Lair: four times a small [Ruby](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ruby), and more than any other gem but the [Diamond](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/diamond). ### Where do you find Big Rubies in Spelunky Classic? Buried in the rock of every area, lying in nooks and gaps, and in [Jars](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/jar), [Chests](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/chest) and the Jungle's graves. The bottom of a Mines [snake pit](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/snake-pit) has two, the floor of the Temple's Sacrifice Pit six, and the [Giant Spider](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/giant-spider) and the [Alien Boss](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/alien-boss) leave big gems when they die. ### Is a Big Ruby worth more than a Big Sapphire in Spelunky Classic? Yes. A Big Ruby is worth $1,600 in the Mines, a [Big Sapphire](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-sapphire) $1,200 and a [Big Emerald](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-emerald) $800. The small [Ruby](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ruby) and [Sapphire](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/sapphire) are worth the same. ### What happens if the Ghost touches a Big Ruby in Spelunky Classic? It becomes a [Diamond](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/diamond), worth $5,000 in the Mines instead of $1,600, even if it's still inside a block. ## See also - **Related:** [Ruby](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ruby), [Big Emerald](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-emerald), [Big Sapphire](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-sapphire), [Diamond](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/diamond), [Snake pit](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/snake-pit) ## References [^1]: [`objects/oRubyBig/create.gml:8`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oRubyBig/create#L8) [^2]: [`scripts/scrRoomGen4.gml:201-204`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen4#L201-L204) [^3]: [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:1996`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step#L1996) [^4]: [`scripts/scrInitLevel.gml:24-29`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrInitLevel#L24-L29) [^5]: [`objects/oBrick/create.gml:7-14`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oBrick/create#L7-L14) [^6]: [`objects/oLush/create.gml:5-13`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oLush/create#L5-L13) [^7]: [`objects/oDark/create.gml:3-13`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oDark/create#L3-L13) [^8]: [`objects/oTemple/create.gml:5-14`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTemple/create#L5-L14) [^9]: [`scripts/isLevel.gml:7`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/isLevel#L7) [^10]: [`scripts/scrRoomGen4.gml:317-322`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen4#L317-L322) [^11]: [`objects/oBlock/create.gml:1-4`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oBlock/create#L1-L4) [^12]: [`objects/oTemple/create.gml:7-10`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTemple/create#L7-L10) [^13]: Quirk 1 (docs/quirks.md) [^14]: [`objects/oTreasure/step.gml:63-67`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTreasure/step#L63-L67) [^15]: Clip spectacles/reveal [^16]: [`scripts/scrRoomGen.gml:212-218`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen#L212-L218) [^17]: [`scripts/scrRoomGen.gml:471-474`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen#L471-L474) [^18]: [`scripts/scrRoomGen4.gml:333-337`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen4#L333-L337) [^19]: [`objects/oTemple/destroy.gml:34-37`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTemple/destroy#L34-L37) [^20]: [`scripts/scrTreasureGen.gml:27-46`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrTreasureGen#L27-L46) [^21]: [`scripts/scrTreasureGen.gml:48-93`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrTreasureGen#L48-L93) [^22]: [`scripts/scrTreasureGen.gml:95-114`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrTreasureGen#L95-L114) [^23]: [`scripts/scrRoomGen4.gml:364-370`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen4#L364-L370) [^24]: [`scripts/scrRoomGen5.gml:177-189`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen5#L177-L189) [^25]: [`scripts/scrEntityGen.gml:196-202`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrEntityGen#L196-L202) [^26]: [`scripts/scrTreasureGen.gml:56-64`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrTreasureGen#L56-L64) [^27]: [`scripts/scrEntityGen.gml:108-141`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrEntityGen#L108-L141) [^28]: `rTutorial`, as the room editor placed it [^29]: [`scripts/scrCreateTileObj.gml:277-280`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrCreateTileObj#L277-L280) [^30]: [`objects/oJar/destroy.gml:17-21`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oJar/destroy#L17-L21) [^31]: [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:594-605`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step#L594-L605) [^32]: [`objects/oGiantSpider/step.gml:16-29`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oGiantSpider/step#L16-L29) [^33]: [`objects/oAlienBoss/step.gml:9-25`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oAlienBoss/step#L9-L25) [^34]: [`scripts/scrRoomGen4.gml:378-393`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen4#L378-L393) [^35]: [`objects/oXocBlock/destroy.gml:24-27`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oXocBlock/destroy#L24-L27) [^36]: [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:1990-2016`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step#L1990-L2016) [^37]: [`objects/oRubyBig/create.gml:6-7`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oRubyBig/create#L6-L7) [^38]: [`objects/oRubyBig/alarm_0.gml:1`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oRubyBig/alarm_0#L1) [^39]: Clip big-ruby/chest [^40]: [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:1953-1971`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step#L1953-L1971) [^41]: [`objects/oPlayer1/other_animation_end.gml:46-50`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/other_animation_end#L46-L50) [^42]: [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:2000-2014`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step#L2000-L2014) [^43]: [`objects/oTransition/alarm_0.gml:77-82`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTransition/alarm_0#L77-L82) [^44]: [`objects/oTreasure/step.gml:1-79`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTreasure/step#L1-L79) [^45]: [`objects/oWeb/collision_oTreasure.gml:1-2`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oWeb/collision_oTreasure#L1-L2) [^46]: [`objects/oRubyBig/collision_oGhost.gml:1-2`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oRubyBig/collision_oGhost#L1-L2) [^47]: Replay `fidelity/replays/item-seed-2-diamond.txt` ### Source code - [`objects/oRubyBig/create.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oRubyBig/create) - [`objects/oRubyBig/alarm_0.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oRubyBig/alarm_0) - [`objects/oRubyBig/collision_oGhost.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oRubyBig/collision_oGhost) - [`objects/oTreasure/create.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTreasure/create) - [`objects/oTreasure/step.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTreasure/step) - [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step) - [`objects/oBrick/create.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oBrick/create) - [`objects/oLush/create.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oLush/create) - [`objects/oDark/create.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oDark/create) - [`objects/oTemple/create.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTemple/create) - [`objects/oTemple/destroy.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTemple/destroy) - [`scripts/scrTreasureGen.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrTreasureGen) - [`scripts/scrEntityGen.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrEntityGen) - [`scripts/scrRoomGen.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen) - [`scripts/scrRoomGen4.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen4)