How best to gain emeralds, saphires and rubies?

Answer from: Pam
Use the mermaid search to get rubies & coins

Answer from: samshare23
You will likely run out of money if you keep doing mermaid searches. I tested it to see what the probability was. I went on over 500 mermaid searches before I struck ONE ruby. After finishing the "experiment" and using a LOT of cash, I determined that the chance of getting a ruby is 1 in 1000. You have a better chance of getting rubies in mermaid ruby searches... but you use rubies for that. If you need to do it for a quest, then do it. But if you want to increase your rubies, then DON'T ... you will quickly run out of rubies.

Best way: Rubies ... whales give an occassional ruby.... daily bonuses (every 7th day) gives one ruby. Also, certain quests gives you rubies ... and I think wonders give you rubies. I got the North Pole Wonder ... and it gives 1 ruby per week. (I am just shy of one pyramid and 1 panda/1 great wall to get the other two wonders ... I hope they also give 1 ruby per week).

Black Pearls ... so far, only ONE ship, Captain Jim's Cruiser, brings back an occassional black pearle (with a 24 hour or long voyage). ... otherwise, a number of quests grant black pearl rewards.
Emeralds ... send ships on voyages ... only certain ships (high level) will bring back emeralds.
Sapphires ... best is to send ships on voyages ...
Pearls ... send ships on voyages ... you will quickly run into having TOO many pearls and not know what to do with them (you will end up maxing out all the merchants that upgrade with pearls).
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Another way is to craft the various things you need...
~1000 pearls will get you a sapphire.
~1000 sapphires will get you an emerald
~1250 emeralds will get you a black pearl.
You can't craft rubies.