How to Breed the Ruby Dragon in DragonVale (July Gemstone Guide)

The short answer: breed a Smoke Dragon with an Obsidian Dragon, during July only. Incubation is 31 hours. That is the one and only combination.

If you have been running that pair and getting commons over and over, nothing is broken. Gemstone dragons are designed to be rare. What separates players who land one from players who do not is preparation and attempt volume — both of which you control.

Below you will find the combo, why July is non-negotiable, the two levers that genuinely raise your odds, the timer trick that doubles your attempts per week, and a realistic plan for the month.

📖 Table of Contents

1. Why Ruby Dragons Are Worth the Effort
2. The Only Combo That Works
3. Why July Is Non-Negotiable
4. Getting Smoke and Obsidian First
5. How to Actually Improve Your Odds
6. The 31-Hour Timer Trick
7. Your July Game Plan
8. Common Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
9. Pro Tips From Gemstone Hunters
10. Gear and Gifts for Dragon Fans
11. Frequently Asked Questions
12. Your Ruby Dragon Checklist

❤️ Why Ruby Dragons Are Worth the Effort

Gemstone dragons do something no other dragon does: they earn Gems instead of DragonCash.

That distinction is the whole reason to chase them. DragonCash buys habitats and decorations. Gems are the premium currency — the one that unlocks islands, rushes long builds, and buys limited event dragons before their window closes. Normally you get gems slowly, or you pay real money.

A gemstone dragon turns that into a trickle of free premium currency, forever. It is the closest thing DragonVale has to a savings account.

Key insight: The value of a gemstone dragon is measured in time, not looks. One obtained this July earns for twelve extra months compared to one obtained next July. That is why it is worth treating the month seriously rather than casually.

Who should chase it: any player with Smoke and Obsidian Dragons available during July. If you do not have those two parents yet, that becomes your real project — see the section below.

🎯 The Only Combo That Works

Gemstone breeding works differently from epic breeding. With an epic like the Rainbow Dragon, dozens of pairs qualify because the rule is about how many elements are in play. With gemstones, exactly one pairing has any chance at all.

That simplifies your decision-making enormously. You never need to wonder whether a different pair might be better — there is no better pair. Your entire job is to make that one pairing as many times as possible under the best conditions you can arrange.

Both parents must be level 4 or higher. Dragons below level 4 do not appear in the Breeding Cave at all, which is the usual explanation when someone says the combo “isn’t showing up”.

📅 Why July Is Non-Negotiable

Ruby is July’s birthstone, and DragonVale ties birthstone dragons to their real months. Outside July, a Smoke + Obsidian pairing simply cannot produce a Ruby — the result is not in the pool of possible outcomes.

This is worth being blunt about, because it is the reason most people’s efforts fail. You can run the correct combo fifty times in March and the probability of success is exactly zero. Not low. Zero.

DragonVale also has quarterly gemstone dragons that stay available for three months rather than one. Those are far more relaxed. Birthstone dragons like Ruby are the tight, unforgiving ones — which is exactly why preparation matters so much.

🧬 Getting Smoke and Obsidian First

You cannot attempt Ruby at all without both parents. If either is missing, that is your actual first task, and it is worth starting well before July.

Both Smoke and Obsidian are obtainable through normal breeding, and neither is an epic — so they are a matter of persistence rather than luck on the scale of Ruby itself. Give yourself a comfortable buffer: acquiring a parent dragon in late June and levelling it to 4 in time is tight.

A sensible timeline: have both parents in your park by May, at level 4 by early June, and levelled as high as convenient by the end of June. Then July is pure attempts.

📈 How to Actually Improve Your Odds

Unlike Rainbow breeding — where nothing you do changes the per-attempt chance — gemstone dragons have two levers that genuinely work.

1. Breed on the Epic Breeding Island or Sanctuary

Using the Epic Breeding Island, or its upgraded form the Epic Breeding Sanctuary, increases the chance of a gemstone result. This is a designed effect, not a community rumour. If you are serious about gemstones and have not built one, this is your single highest-value project.

2. Level up both parent dragons

Higher-level parents improve gemstone breeding chances. Level 4 is only the minimum to breed at all. Push Smoke and Obsidian considerably higher during the off-season — it costs nothing but treats and time, and it improves every single attempt you make in July.

Lever	Effect	When	Priority
Epic Breeding Island	Raises gemstone chance	Before July	⭐ Highest
Level parents past 4	Raises gemstone chance	Off-season	High
Start on 1 July	Maximises total attempts	Day one	⭐ Highest
Clear failures fast	More rolls per week	Every attempt	High

⏱️ The 31-Hour Timer Trick

Here is a rule most players never notice: a gemstone dragon’s breeding and incubation time in hours equals the number of days in its month.

• Ruby — July has 31 days → 31 hours
• Diamond — April has 30 days → 30 hours
• Sapphire — September has 30 days → 30 hours
• Peridot — August has 31 days → 31 hours

This turns the timer into an instant success signal. The moment breeding finishes, look at the clock. 31 hours during July on a Smoke + Obsidian pairing is almost certainly your Ruby. Anything shorter is a common dragon.

🗓️ Your July Game Plan

1. Before July: own both a Smoke Dragon and an Obsidian Dragon.
2. Before July: level both to at least 4 — ideally well beyond.
3. Before July: build the Epic Breeding Island or Sanctuary.
4. Before July: upgrade your Breeding Cave so failures clear faster.
5. 1 July: begin attempts immediately. Do not drift into mid-month.
6. Every attempt: check the timer the second breeding completes.
7. Not 31 hours? Clear and retry straight away.
8. 31 hours? Move to the Nest and build a Gemstone Habitat.
9. Every night: leave an attempt running while you sleep.

🚫 Common Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

Mistake 1: Attempting outside July

What happens: Weeks of effort at exactly zero probability.

The fix: Check the date. Outside July, prepare instead of attempting.

Mistake 2: Remembering halfway through the month

What happens: You start on 20 July and get a handful of attempts instead of dozens.

The fix: Set a calendar reminder for 1 July. With low per-attempt odds, total attempts is the entire strategy.

Mistake 3: Letting every failed egg incubate

What happens: Hours vanish on eggs you already knew were wrong.

The fix: Read the timer, clear anything that is not 31 hours, go again.

Mistake 4: Breeding without the Epic Breeding Island

What happens: Every attempt runs at the worst possible odds.

The fix: Build it before July. It is the difference-maker.

Mistake 5: Scrambling for parents in late June

What happens: You spend the first half of July breeding Smoke and Obsidian instead of Ruby.

The fix: Have both parents secured and levelled by the end of June.

🎓 Pro Tips From Gemstone Hunters

1. Treat July as a focused sprint. Thirty-one days sounds generous until each attempt takes hours. Play deliberately for the month.

2. Build the Gemstone Habitat in advance. Do not let a hard-won hatch sit homeless.

3. Keep the pair permanently available. Do not sell or shuffle Smoke and Obsidian mid-month.

4. Level well past the minimum. Level 4 gets you in the door; higher levels improve every roll.

5. Log your attempts. Knowing you needed thirty attempts last year makes this year far less frustrating.

6. Do not spend gems to rush it. The dragon exists to earn gems. Spending them to speed it up defeats the purpose.

🎁 Gear and Gifts for Dragon Fans

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How do you breed a Ruby Dragon in DragonVale?

Breed a Smoke Dragon with an Obsidian Dragon during July. Both parents must be level 4 or higher. Incubation is 31 hours. This is the only combination that can produce a Ruby.

Can I breed a Ruby Dragon outside July?

No. Ruby is July’s birthstone and the dragon is only obtainable that month. Attempts in any other month have a zero chance regardless of combo, parent level, or buildings.

How long does the Ruby Dragon take to incubate?

31 hours, matching July’s 31 days. Every gemstone dragon follows this rule, which makes the timer a reliable way to spot success immediately.

Why do I keep getting common dragons instead?

Because gemstone dragons have a deliberately low chance per attempt. The combo is not broken. Build the Epic Breeding Island, level your parents higher, and make as many attempts as you can inside the month.

Do Ruby Dragons really earn gems?

Yes. Gemstone Element Dragons earn Gems rather than DragonCash, which is what makes them so valuable long-term. It is a slow trickle, but it is free premium currency.

What if I do not have Smoke or Obsidian yet?

Then that is your first project, and it should happen well before July. Both are obtainable through normal breeding. Aim to have them in your park and at level 4 by early June at the latest.

✅ Your Ruby Dragon Checklist

🔗 Keep Reading

• How to Breed the Diamond Dragon (April)
• Sapphire Dragon Guide (September)
• How to Breed the Rainbow Dragon
• Browse the full Dragon Database
• Egg Timer Calculator — identify a mystery egg

---

Breeding outcomes in DragonVale are probabilistic. The combination in this guide is the game’s designated Ruby Dragon pairing, but gemstone dragons have a deliberately low success rate per attempt and no combination guarantees a result. Times reflect the game as of 2026 and may change with updates. DragonVale World Guide is an unofficial fan resource and is not affiliated with DECA Games or Backflip Studios.