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 Sapphire 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 [Sapphire](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/sapphire).* The Big Sapphire is a gem in Spelunky Classic worth $1,200 in the Mines and more deeper down, buried in rock, lying in nooks and left by Jars and bosses. ![A faceted blue gem, cut in a diamond shape](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/media/583f7aa191eace98/sprites/sSapphireBig/frames/0%404x.png) | Big Sapphire | | | ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Value | $1,200[^1] | | Object | `oSapphireBig` | | 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), 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), [Yeti King](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/yeti-king) | It's the middle one of the three big gems, worth more than a [Big Emerald](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-emerald) and less than a [Big Ruby](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-ruby), and three times a small [Sapphire](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/sapphire). In the rock it's the commonest of them, as each block rolls for it first. 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 Sapphire's base value is $1,200, 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[^2][^3]: | Area | Value | | ---------------------------------------------------- | ------ | | [The Mines](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/mines) | $1,200 | | [The Jungle](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/jungle) | $1,500 | | [The Ice Caves](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ice-caves) | $1,800 | | [The Temple](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/temple) | $2,100 | | [Olmec's Lair](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/olmecs-lair) | $2,400 | ## Locations ### In the rock **Clip: A big sapphire bombed out of the rock.** The player picks up a pair of spectacles in a cave of bricks, and a big sapphire buried in the floor ahead shows through them. He sets a bomb on the floor above it and runs back; the explosion breaks the floor, and he drops into the hole and collects the sapphire. ([video](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/media/583f7aa191eace98/clips/big-sapphire/bomb/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 Sapphire first: | Area | Chance for each block | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------- | ---- | | [The Mines](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/mines) | 1 in 100 | [^4] | | [The Jungle](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/jungle) | 1 in 80 | [^5] | | [The Ice Caves](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ice-caves) | 1 in 40 | [^6] | | [The Temple](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/temple) and [Olmec's Lair](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/olmecs-lair) | 1 in 60 | [^7] | The Tutorial's bricks roll as the Mines' do[^8]. 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[^9][^10]. The [City of Gold](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/city-of-gold)'s temple blocks are gold instead, and don't roll for gems[^11], but its blocks of earth still do[^12]. 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[^13]. In the clip, the player picks up a pair of Spectacles in a cave of bricks, and a Big Sapphire buried in the floor ahead shows through. He sets a Bomb on the floor above it and runs back; the explosion breaks the floor, and he drops into the hole and collects the gem[^14]. ### 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[^15]. A big gem comes late in it: | Spot | Chance | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | | A nook one block high with a wall beside it | 1 in 8, 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) and a Big Emerald (1 in 6) fail | [^16] | | A gap one block wide between two walls | 1 in 9, once the rolls for a web, a Gold Bar (1 in 4), Gold Bars (1 in 8), bones and a Big Emerald (1 in 8) fail | [^17] | | The [City of Gold](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/city-of-gold)'s treasure vaults | 1 in 80, once the roll for a Big Ruby (1 in 120) fails | [^18] | | Some of [Olmec's Lair](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/olmecs-lair)'s tiles | 1 in 8, once the rolls for a Chest (1 in 15), Gold Bars (1 in 6) and a Big Emerald (1 in 6) fail | [^19] | | A grave on a Jungle [graveyard level](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/restless-dead), in the block under it | 1 in 4, once the roll for a [Gold Nugget](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/gold-nugget) (1 in 2) fails | [^20] | 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[^21]. 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[^22][^12]. The Tutorial has one lying on a high ledge[^23], and the level editor's `6` tile is one[^24]. ### 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) and a Big Emerald (1 in 12) fail | [^25] | | 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 Sapphire | [^26] | | A [Giant Spider](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/giant-spider) killed | One to three big gems, each a Big Sapphire one chance in three | [^27] | | An [Alien Boss](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/alien-boss) killed | Four big gems, each a Big Sapphire one chance in three | [^28] | | A [Yeti King](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/yeti-king) killed | Four rolls, each a Big Sapphire 1 in 2 once the roll for [Spike Shoes](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/spike-shoes) (1 in 12) fails, and otherwise a Rope Pile | [^29] | | The Lady Xoc statue, in the City of Gold | Two of its blocks, each dropping two when it's destroyed | [^30][^31][^12] | ## Collecting The player collects a Big Sapphire by touching it while he isn't stunned or dead; the one he takes is the treasure nearest him, one a step[^32]. It's made uncollectable, and its own alarm, set to 20 steps (0.67 seconds) when it's made, makes it collectable[^33][^34], so one fresh out of a Jar, a Chest or a monster lies a moment before the player can take it. 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[^35][^36]. A gem plays its own sound, where gold plays the coin's[^37], and the screen between levels shows each Big Sapphire collected on the level[^38]. 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[^39][^40]. ### The Ghost **Clip: A big sapphire becomes a diamond.** A ghost appears at the edge of the screen and drifts toward the player. As it passes over a big sapphire lying in a nook, the sapphire turns into a diamond. ([video](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/media/583f7aa191eace98/clips/diamond/ghost/clip.mp4)) A [Ghost](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ghost) that touches a Big Sapphire turns it into a [Diamond](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/diamond), in the same place[^41]. The Ghost drifts through walls, so it does this to gems still buried in the rock too[^42][^12]. In the clip, a Ghost drifting toward the player passes over a Big Sapphire lying in a nook, and the sapphire becomes a Diamond[^43]. ## 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[^41]. ## FAQ ### How much is a Big Sapphire worth in Spelunky Classic? $1,200 in the Mines, $1,500 in the Jungle, $1,800 in the Ice Caves, $2,100 in the Temple and $2,400 in Olmec's Lair: three times a small [Sapphire](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/sapphire), more than a [Big Emerald](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-emerald) and less than a [Big Ruby](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-ruby). ### Where do you find Big Sapphires in Spelunky Classic? Buried in the rock of every area, where they're the commonest big gem, 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 [Giant Spider](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/giant-spider), the [Alien Boss](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/alien-boss) and the [Yeti King](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/yeti-king) leave them when they die, the Lady Xoc statue in the City of Gold holds four, and the Tutorial has one on a ledge. ### How do you get a Big Sapphire out of the rock in Spelunky Classic? By destroying the block it's in, with a [Bomb](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/bomb) or a [Mattock](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/mattock): it's inside the block, hidden, and drops out when the block is gone. [Spectacles](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/spectacles) and the [Udjat Eye](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/udjat-eye) show buried gems through the rock. ### What happens if the Ghost touches a Big Sapphire in Spelunky Classic? It becomes a [Diamond](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/diamond), worth $5,000 in the Mines instead of $1,200, even if it's still inside a block. ## See also - **Related:** [Sapphire](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/sapphire), [Big Emerald](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-emerald), [Big Ruby](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/big-ruby), [Diamond](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/diamond) ## References [^1]: [`objects/oSapphireBig/create.gml:8`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oSapphireBig/create#L8) [^2]: [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:1996`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step#L1996) [^3]: [`scripts/scrInitLevel.gml:24-29`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrInitLevel#L24-L29) [^4]: [`objects/oBrick/create.gml:7-12`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oBrick/create#L7-L12) [^5]: [`objects/oLush/create.gml:5-11`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oLush/create#L5-L11) [^6]: [`objects/oDark/create.gml:3-11`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oDark/create#L3-L11) [^7]: [`objects/oTemple/create.gml:5-12`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTemple/create#L5-L12) [^8]: [`scripts/isLevel.gml:7`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/isLevel#L7) [^9]: [`scripts/scrRoomGen4.gml:317-322`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen4#L317-L322) [^10]: [`objects/oBlock/create.gml:1-4`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oBlock/create#L1-L4) [^11]: [`objects/oTemple/create.gml:7-10`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTemple/create#L7-L10) [^12]: Quirk 1 (docs/quirks.md) [^13]: [`objects/oTreasure/step.gml:63-67`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTreasure/step#L63-L67) [^14]: Clip big-sapphire/bomb [^15]: [`scripts/scrTreasureGen.gml:27-46`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrTreasureGen#L27-L46) [^16]: [`scripts/scrTreasureGen.gml:48-93`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrTreasureGen#L48-L93) [^17]: [`scripts/scrTreasureGen.gml:95-114`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrTreasureGen#L95-L114) [^18]: [`scripts/scrRoomGen4.gml:364-370`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen4#L364-L370) [^19]: [`scripts/scrRoomGen5.gml:177-189`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen5#L177-L189) [^20]: [`scripts/scrEntityGen.gml:196-202`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrEntityGen#L196-L202) [^21]: [`scripts/scrTreasureGen.gml:56-64`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrTreasureGen#L56-L64) [^22]: [`scripts/scrEntityGen.gml:108-141`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrEntityGen#L108-L141) [^23]: `rTutorial`, as the room editor placed it [^24]: [`scripts/scrCreateTileObj.gml:273-276`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrCreateTileObj#L273-L276) [^25]: [`objects/oJar/destroy.gml:17-20`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oJar/destroy#L17-L20) [^26]: [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:594-605`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step#L594-L605) [^27]: [`objects/oGiantSpider/step.gml:16-29`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oGiantSpider/step#L16-L29) [^28]: [`objects/oAlienBoss/step.gml:9-25`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oAlienBoss/step#L9-L25) [^29]: [`objects/oYetiKing/step.gml:16-40`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oYetiKing/step#L16-L40) [^30]: [`scripts/scrRoomGen4.gml:378-393`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrRoomGen4#L378-L393) [^31]: [`objects/oXocBlock/destroy.gml:24-27`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oXocBlock/destroy#L24-L27) [^32]: [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:1990-2016`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step#L1990-L2016) [^33]: [`objects/oSapphireBig/create.gml:6-7`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oSapphireBig/create#L6-L7) [^34]: [`objects/oSapphireBig/alarm_0.gml:1`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oSapphireBig/alarm_0#L1) [^35]: [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:1953-1971`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step#L1953-L1971) [^36]: [`objects/oPlayer1/other_animation_end.gml:46-50`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/other_animation_end#L46-L50) [^37]: [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:2000-2014`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step#L2000-L2014) [^38]: [`objects/oTransition/alarm_0.gml:71-76`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTransition/alarm_0#L71-L76) [^39]: [`objects/oTreasure/step.gml:1-79`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oTreasure/step#L1-L79) [^40]: [`objects/oWeb/collision_oTreasure.gml:1-2`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oWeb/collision_oTreasure#L1-L2) [^41]: [`objects/oSapphireBig/collision_oGhost.gml:1-2`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oSapphireBig/collision_oGhost#L1-L2) [^42]: Replay `fidelity/replays/item-seed-2-diamond.txt` [^43]: Clip diamond/ghost ### Source code - [`objects/oSapphireBig/create.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oSapphireBig/create) - [`objects/oSapphireBig/alarm_0.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oSapphireBig/alarm_0) - [`objects/oSapphireBig/collision_oGhost.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oSapphireBig/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/oYetiKing/step.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oYetiKing/step) - [`scripts/scrTreasureGen.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrTreasureGen) - [`scripts/scrEntityGen.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/scripts/scrEntityGen)