You're standing at a master blacksmith's anvil in Novigrad, your pockets heavy with crowns, ready to finally craft that Mastercrafted Wolven Steel Sword. Then you see it. The red text. You're missing a flawless ruby. It’s frustrating. Geralt has faced down higher vampires and literal gods, but a shiny red rock is what's stopping your progress.
Most players assume these are just random loot drops. They aren't—well, not entirely. While you can find a flawless ruby in The Witcher 3 by sheer luck while looting a random drowner nest in the swamps of Velen, relying on RNG is a recipe for a headache. You need a strategy.
The Problem With Flawless Rubies
In the base game, these stones are rare. They aren't like common rubies or ruby dust that you can find by smashing every barrel in Oxenfurt. A flawless ruby is a high-tier crafting component specifically required for some of the best gear in the game, including Mastercrafted Witcher school swords.
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If you're playing the Blood and Wine expansion, things get a bit easier because the economy in Toussaint is basically built on gemstones. But if you’re still mid-game and trying to prep for the late-game hunt, you've got to be smart about where you spend your gold. Honestly, the biggest mistake people make is selling their jewelry early on. Those necklaces you loot from bandits? Many contain the very gems you'll be hunting for twenty hours later.
Where to Actually Find One
Let's talk locations. If you need a flawless ruby right now, your first stop should be a high-level smith.
Hattori in Novigrad is the obvious choice. Once you finish his "Of Swords and Dumplings" quest, his inventory resets periodically and often carries high-end gems. He’s expensive, though. If Hattori doesn't have what you need, check the Quartermaster at Crow's Perch or the armorer in Kaer Trolde. Skellige is actually a goldmine for gemstones if you're willing to sail around and hit those "Smuggler's Cache" markers, though most of us find that incredibly tedious.
There’s also a specific chest in the "Sunken Treasure" hidden treasure encounter near Hangman's Alley in Velen. It’s not a 100% guarantee, but the loot tables there are weighted toward higher-quality stones.
Another reliable method is dismantling. Look through your "Other" tab in the inventory. If you have a Gold Diamond Necklace or an Ornate Silver Necklace, take it to a craftsman. Hover over the item and see what it breaks down into. Sometimes, a piece of "junk" jewelry is actually a shell for a flawless gem. It's usually cheaper to dismantle a 500-crown necklace than it is to buy a 1000-crown ruby outright.
Crafting vs. Buying: The Math
Is it worth buying? Kinda.
A flawless ruby will set you back a significant amount of coin—usually upwards of 1,200 crowns depending on the merchant's markup and your reputation. In the early game, that’s a fortune. By the time you’re level 30, it’s pocket change.
Here’s a trick: if a merchant doesn't have the gem, meditate for five days. This forces an inventory refresh. It’s a bit of an immersion breaker, sure, but it beats fast-traveling across three continents just to find one shopkeeper who isn't sold out.
The Toussaint Factor
If you have access to the Blood and Wine DLC, stop worrying. The merchants in Beauclair, specifically the Grandmaster Smith Lafargue, almost always have these in stock. Not only that, but the "Hans" bases (the massive bandit camps) are filled with chests that drop high-tier gems. You can walk out of a single raid with three or four flawless stones.
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But most people searching for a flawless ruby are trying to get their Mastercrafted gear before they head to the land of wine and love. In that case, you're stuck with the Novigrad/Skellige grind.
Common Misconceptions
People often think you can "up-craft" gems. You can't.
In some RPGs, you take three small rubies and make one big one. Not here. In The Witcher 3, a ruby is a ruby, and a flawless ruby is a separate item entirely. You can break a flawless ruby down into ruby dust (don't do this, it's a waste of money), but you can't go the other way.
Also, don't confuse the flawless ruby with a ruby. They look almost identical in the menu if you're skimming. The flawless version has a slightly sharper icon and, obviously, a much higher price tag. Always double-check before you click "buy" or "sell." I've accidentally sold my crafting stash to a random merchant in the middle of nowhere more times than I'd like to admit.
Don't Forget the Monsters
There is a very slim chance of certain monsters dropping these. Golems and Elementals are your best bet.
If you find a monster nest guarded by an Earth Elemental, there's a decent chance the loot inside—or the body of the beast itself—will contain high-value minerals. It makes sense, right? They’re literally made of rock. Gargoyles are another good source. They often drop "Gargoyle Heart" or "Dust," but their loot table also includes rare ores and gems.
Practical Steps to Secure Your Gem
If you're currently staring at a crafting screen and missing that one red stone, follow this exact path to save time.
- Check your jewelry stash first. Go to a blacksmith and look at the dismantling screen. If you see anything that yields a flawless ruby, do it immediately. It’s the most cost-effective way.
- Visit Hattori in Novigrad. If you haven't unlocked him, do it. He’s the most reliable vendor for high-end materials in the base game.
- Head to Skellige. Specifically, check the Armorer in Kaer Trolde. Skellige merchants tend to have better stocks of raw ores and gems than the war-torn smiths in Velen.
- Kill some Golems. Hunt down any "Guarded Treasure" icons on your map that feature elemental enemies.
- Save before you buy. If you're going to spend 1,500 crowns, make sure you're buying the right thing.
Once you have the stone, get your sword crafted. The jump in stats from Superior to Mastercrafted is significant, especially regarding armor piercing and sign intensity. Don't let a single gemstone keep you from your peak build. Check your inventory, hit the right merchants, and stop selling your necklaces until you've finished your Witcher sets.
Next Steps for Success
- Audit your "Other" inventory tab: Sort by weight or value and look for any gold-plated jewelry. Take these to Hattori or the Master Armorer at Crow's Perch to see their dismantling yield.
- Farm the Golem at the Elven Ruins: If you haven't completed "Wandering in the Dark" with Keira Metz, there are several opportunities in those caves to loot high-value containers.
- Clean out Smuggler's Caches: If you are in Skellige, spend 20 minutes hitting the caches in the water around Ard Skellig. You will almost certainly find at least one flawless ruby or a piece of jewelry that contains one.