Gems Rubys and what not

Where do u find these ruby and gems, is it only when u salvage something,or can they appear as a drop. If it is only when u salvage something does it have to be something like a jeweled staff or chackram or whatever as long as it says jeweled, and do u have to salvage it with a expert salvage kit?

What are gems used for? I've seen them for sale but don't know why I would want one.

Sapphires and rubys obsidian shards and ectoplasm they all drop in the FoW and UW they are used to make armor (rubys and sapphires are used for elementalist armor i believe)

I have been to the UW and FoW so many times I have lost count and I have never seen a sapphire or ruby drop. So there drop percentages are even less than shard and ecto.

anything that will drop a lump of charcoal can drop a saphire or ruby

i got 1 saphire outside sardelac sanitorium before they nerfed it

I got my ruby there too! Fact is, as far as I have been able to discren anyways, is that there is no purpose to the gems.........yet. I have a lot of confidence that Anet will do something with them, and if they don't.... Oh well. The dumbest part about these gems is seeing people auctioning them off for 5k-10k. I guess the funnier thing is people actually paying that much for one when they don't even know what they're for!