Emerald

Emerald

Rarity tier	Common
Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)

{
    "title": "Emerald",
    "rows": [
        {
            "field": "Common",
            "label": "(link to Rarity article, displayed as Rarity tier)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Yes",
            "label": "(link to Renewable resource article, displayed as Renewable)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Yes (64)",
            "label": "Stackable"
        }
    ],
    "invimages": [
        "Emerald"
    ],
    "images": [
        "Emerald.png"
    ]
}

Emeralds are minerals that are used primarily as the currency for trading with villagers and wandering traders.

Obtaining

Mining

Emerald ore drops one emerald when mined using an iron pickaxe or better. If the pickaxe is enchanted with Fortune, it may drop an extra emerald per level of Fortune, up to a maximum of 4 emeralds with Fortune III. If the ore is mined using a pickaxe enchanted with Silk Touch, it drops itself in ore form instead of as an emerald.

Crafting

Ingredients	[hide]Crafting recipe
Block of Emerald	9

Smelting

Ingredients	[hide]Smelting recipe
Emerald Ore or Deepslate Emerald Ore + Any fuel	1

Trading

Emeralds can be obtained by trading with villagers, since they are the currency that villagers use for trading. Villagers either buy or sell specific goods for emeralds. If the Villager Trade Rebalance experiment is enabled, wandering traders can also trade emeralds for certain items.

Mob loot

Vindicators and evokers drop 0–1 emeralds upon death. Looting increases the maximum emerald drop by one per level, for a maximum of 4 emeralds with Looting III.

Foxes that are holding emeralds also have a chance of 100% to drop the emerald they are holding upon death. Alternatively, the player can drop a food item to entice the fox to drop the emerald without killing it.

In Bedrock Edition, vindicators and pillagers spawned from raids can drop 0–1 emeralds. Depending on difficulty, vindicators and pillagers spawned from raids also have a chance of dropping additional emeralds. There is a 65% chance of dropping on Easy and Normal, and an 80% chance of dropping on Hard. If this additional drop condition is met, different emerald counts can drop with different chances. There is a ¹⁰⁄₃₉ chance to drop an additional 0–1 emeralds, a ⁵⁄₃₉ chance to drop an additional 2–3, and a ²⁄₃₉ chance to drop an additional 4–5.

In Bedrock Edition, with Looting III, it is possible for a vindicator in a raid to drop up to 16 emeralds upon death (vindicator drops + raid drops + an additional drop).

Source	Roll Chance	Quantity (Roll Chance)
		Default	Looting I	Looting II	Looting III
Evoker	100%	0–1	0–2	0–3	0–4
Vindicator	100%	0–1	0–2	0–3	0–4

Generated loot

Emeralds can generate in chests in some village houses or other generated structures.

Item	Structure	Container	Quantity	[hide]Chance
Java Edition
Emerald	Buried Treasure	Chest	4–8	59.9% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "4–8", "chance": 0.5987654320987654, "structure": "Buried Treasure", "container": "Chest" }
	Desert Pyramid	Suspicious sand	1	12.5% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.125, "structure": "Desert Pyramid", "container": "Suspicious sand" }
		Chest	1–3	18% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.18047585032339075, "structure": "Desert Pyramid", "container": "Chest" }
	Desert well	Suspicious sand	1	12.5% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.125, "structure": "Desert well", "container": "Suspicious sand" }
	End City	Chest	2–6	9% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "2–6", "chance": 0.0903321239024858, "structure": "End City", "container": "Chest" }
	Igloo	Chest	1	7.6% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.07641250360396157, "structure": "Igloo", "container": "Chest" }
	Jungle Pyramid	Chest	1–3	8.7% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.08737445137874711, "structure": "Jungle Pyramid", "container": "Chest" }
	Ocean ruins	Warm ruins suspicious sand	1	13.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.1333333333333333, "structure": "Ocean ruins", "container": "Warm ruins suspicious sand" }
		Cold ruins suspicious gravel	1	13.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.1333333333333333, "structure": "Ocean Ruins", "container": "Cold ruins suspicious gravel" }
	Shipwreck	Treasure chest	1–5	73.7% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–5", "chance": 0.7372032702331961, "structure": "Shipwreck", "container": "Treasure chest" }
	Trail Ruins	Suspicious gravel	1	4.4% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.0444444444444444, "structure": "Trail Ruins", "container": "Suspicious gravel" }
	Trial Chambers	Corridor pot	1–3	35.6% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.3561253561253561, "structure": "Trial Chambers", "container": "Corridor pot" }
		Ominous Vault	4–10	56.2% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "4–10", "chance": 0.5621399176954733, "structure": "Trial Chambers", "container": "Ominous Vault" }
		Vault and reward chest	2–4	38.4% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "2–4", "chance": 0.38441636730434786, "structure": "Trial Chambers", "container": "Vault and reward chest" }
	Underwater Ruins	Big ruins chest	1	14.9% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.14938846197131306, "structure": "Underwater Ruins", "container": "Big ruins chest" }
		Small ruins chest	1	16.4% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.16405667897165044, "structure": "Underwater Ruins", "container": "Small ruins chest" }
	Village	Tanner's chest	1–4	17.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.17258930206298828, "structure": "Village", "container": "Tanner's chest" }
		Desert house chest	1–3	14.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.14254173828500694, "structure": "Village", "container": "Desert house chest" }
		Snowy house chest	1–4	9.9% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.0989873657501581, "structure": "Village", "container": "Snowy house chest" }
		Temple chest	1–4	25.4% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.25406025971014023, "structure": "Village", "container": "Temple chest" }
		Savanna house chest	1–4	21.5% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.21463353884117242, "structure": "Village", "container": "Savanna house chest" }
		Fletcher's chest	1	12.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.12311565744709374, "structure": "Village", "container": "Fletcher's chest" }
		Butcher's chest	1	10.2% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.10217553744347596, "structure": "Village", "container": "Butcher's chest" }
		Plains house chest	1–4	22.8% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.22790559614142292, "structure": "Village", "container": "Plains house chest" }
		Mason's chest	1	20.8% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.20842461344544605, "structure": "Village", "container": "Mason's chest" }
		Shepherd's chest	1	12.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.12311565744709374, "structure": "Village", "container": "Shepherd's chest" }
		Fisherman's chest	1	24.2% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.2418426461183103, "structure": "Village", "container": "Fisherman's chest" }
		Taiga house chest	1–4	18.6% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.18575629348123335, "structure": "Village", "container": "Taiga house chest" }
		Armorer's chest	1	31.8% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.31807250976562496, "structure": "Village", "container": "Armorer's chest" }
Bedrock Edition
Emerald	Desert Pyramid	Chest	1–3	18% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.18047585032339075, "structure": "Desert Pyramid", "container": "Chest" }
		Suspicious sand	1	12.5% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.125, "structure": "Desert Pyramid", "container": "Suspicious sand" }
	Desert well	Suspicious sand	1	12.5% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.125, "structure": "Desert well", "container": "Suspicious sand" }
	End City	Chest	2–6	9% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "2–6", "chance": 0.0903321239024858, "structure": "End City", "container": "Chest" }
	Igloo	Chest	1	7.6% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.07641250360396157, "structure": "Igloo", "container": "Chest" }
	Jungle Pyramid	Chest	1–3	8.7% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.08718413975417527, "structure": "Jungle Pyramid", "container": "Chest" }
	Ocean Ruins	Cold ruins suspicious gravel	1	13.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.1333333333333333, "structure": "Ocean Ruins", "container": "Cold ruins suspicious gravel" }
		Warm ruins suspicious sand	1	13.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.1333333333333333, "structure": "Ocean ruins", "container": "Warm ruins suspicious sand" }
	Shipwreck	Treasure chest	1–5	73.7% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–5", "chance": 0.7372032702331961, "structure": "Shipwreck", "container": "Treasure chest" }
	Stronghold	Altar chest	1–3	7.1% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.07099659856993723, "structure": "Stronghold", "container": "Altar chest" }
	Trail Ruins	Suspicious gravel	1	4.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.04347826086956519, "structure": "Trail Ruins", "container": "Suspicious gravel" }
	Trial Chambers	Corridor pot	1–3	35.6% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.3561253561253561, "structure": "Trial Chambers", "container": "Corridor pot" }
		Ominous Vault	4–10	56.2% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "4–10", "chance": 0.5621399176954733, "structure": "Trial Chambers", "container": "Ominous Vault" }
		Vault and reward chest	2–4	39.7% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "2–4", "chance": 0.39706025182608695, "structure": "Trial Chambers", "container": "Vault and reward chest" }
	Underwater Ruins	Big ruins chest	1	14.9% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.14938846197131306, "structure": "Underwater Ruins", "container": "Big ruins chest" }
		Small ruins chest	1	16.4% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.16405667897165044, "structure": "Underwater Ruins", "container": "Small ruins chest" }
	Village	Desert house chest	1–3	14.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.14254173828500694, "structure": "Village", "container": "Desert house chest" }
		Tanner's chest	1–4	17.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.17258930206298828, "structure": "Village", "container": "Tanner's chest" }
		Temple chest	1–4	25.4% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.25406025971014023, "structure": "Village", "container": "Temple chest" }
		Plains house chest	1–4	22.8% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.22790559614142292, "structure": "Village", "container": "Plains house chest" }
		Fletcher's chest	1	12.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.12311565744709374, "structure": "Village", "container": "Fletcher's chest" }
		Butcher's chest	1	10.2% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.10217553744347596, "structure": "Village", "container": "Butcher's chest" }
		Snowy house chest	1–4	9.9% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.0989873657501581, "structure": "Village", "container": "Snowy house chest" }
		Mason's chest	1	20.8% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.20842461344544605, "structure": "Village", "container": "Mason's chest" }
		Taiga house chest	1–4	20.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.20281509304744794, "structure": "Village", "container": "Taiga house chest" }
		Shepherd's chest	1	12.3% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.12311565744709374, "structure": "Village", "container": "Shepherd's chest" }
		Savanna house chest	1–4	21.5% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.21463353884117242, "structure": "Village", "container": "Savanna house chest" }
		Armorer's chest	1	31.8% { "item": "Emerald", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.31807250976562496, "structure": "Village", "container": "Armorer's chest" }

Usage

Trading

Emeralds are primarily used as currency for trading with villagers and wandering traders. Trading is typically a faster way to obtain emeralds than by mining, as an emerald ore is rarer than a diamond ore.

Crafting ingredient

Name	Ingredients	[hide]Crafting recipe
Block of Emerald	Emerald

Beacons

Emeralds can be used to select powers from a beacon. The player must select one of the available powers and then insert an emerald into the item slot.

An emerald can be substituted for an iron ingot, a gold ingot, a diamond or a netherite ingot in a beacon.

Smithing ingredient

Ingredients	Smithing recipe	[hide]Description
Any Armor Trim + Any Armor Piece + Emerald		All armor types can be used in this recipe, a netherite chestplate is shown as an example.

Trim color palette

The following color palette is shown on the designs on trimmed armor:

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Item tags	[hide]Translation key
Emerald	emerald	Item	beacon_payment_items	item.minecraft.emerald

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	[hide]Translation key
Emerald	emerald	512	Item	item.emerald.name

Achievements

[hide]
Icon		Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS)
PS4	Other
		Buy Low, Sell High	Trade for the best possible price.	Buy something for 1 emerald, or when the Hero of the Village effect is applied.	50	Gold
		Master Trader	Trade for 1,000 emeralds.	Obtain 1,000 emeralds from trading with villagers.	30	Silver
		The Haggler	Acquire or spend 30 Emeralds by trading with villagers or with wandering trader. [sic]	—	30	Silver

Advancements

Icon	Advancement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)
	Star Trader	Trade with a Villager at the build height limit	Stand on any block that is higher than 318 and trade with a villager or wandering trader.
	What a Deal!	Successfully trade with a Villager	Take an item from a villager or wandering trader's trading output slot.

History

[hide]Java Edition
May 21, 2012							Jeb released a screenshot of himself testing the trading system. At this time, what would become emeralds were rubies.
1.3.1			12w21a				Added emeralds and emerald ore.
							Emeralds can be traded with villagers in exchange for different items.
							Added desert pyramids, with a hidden chest room and loot containing emeralds.
							The texture of rubies can be found in the (at this time unused) file items.png.
			12w22a				Block of emerald has now been added, which is crafted from nine emeralds and can be placed as a decorative block.
							Added jungle pyramids, which contain loot chests with emeralds.
1.4.2			12w32a				As zombie villagers can now spawn and be cured, emeralds can now still be obtained in trades even if generated structures are disabled.
							Emeralds can be used to activate beacons.
1.9			15w31a				Emeralds now generate in end city chests.
			15w43a				Emeralds now generate in igloo basement chests.
			15w44a				The average yield of emeralds in desert pyramid chests has now been increased.
1.11			16w39a				Added vindicators and evokers, which drop emeralds if killed by a player.
1.13			18w09a				Emeralds can now generate in the loot chests of underwater ruins.
			18w10a				Emeralds can now generate in buried treasure chests.
			18w11a				Emeralds can now generate in the chests of shipwrecks.
1.14			18w43a				The texture of emeralds has now been changed.
							Added pillagers, which can drop emeralds.
			18w46a				Pillagers no longer drop emeralds.
			18w48a				Emeralds now generate in chests in village tanneries, fisher cottages and plains village houses.
			18w49a				Emeralds now generate in chests in village shepherd houses, mason houses, butcher shops, and savanna and snowy village houses.
			18w50a				Emeralds now generate in chests in village fletcher houses, temples, and desert and taiga village houses.
			19w07a				Added foxes, which sometimes spawn with emeralds in their mouths.
			19w08a				The texture of emeralds has now been changed, once again and it looks smaller.
1.17			21w13a				The unused ruby texture was removed.
1.19.4 Experiment Update 1.20			23w04a				Emeralds can now be used as an armor trim material.
			23w07a				Emeralds now drop when brushing suspicious sand in desert pyramids or desert wells.
1.20			23w12a				The probability for the emerald to generate in the suspicious sand in desert pyramid and in desert well has been changed from 1⁄7 to 1⁄8.
							Emerald can now be found in suspicious gravel and suspicious sand in cold and warm ocean ruins and in trail ruins.
			23w16a				Emerald no longer generates in suspicious sand in trail ruins.
							Due to the split of the archaeological loot tables for the suspicious gravel within the trail ruins; emerald now is in the common loot.
1.20.3 Experiment Update 1.21			23w45a				Emeralds now generate in trial chambers in decorated pots.
							Emeralds now generate as loot from trial spawners.
1.20.5 Experiment Update 1.21			24w05a				Emeralds now generate as loot from vaults.
			24w13a				Emeralds now generate as loot from ominous vaults.
							Emeralds no longer generate as loot from trial spawners.
[hide]Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.9.0			build 1				Added emeralds.
			build 5				Emeralds can now be used to craft blocks of emerald.
v0.13.0			build 1				Emeralds can now be found inside desert pyramid chests.
v0.15.0			build 1				Added jungle pyramids, which contain loot chests with emeralds.
v0.16.0			build 1				Emeralds can now be used to power beacons.
[hide]Pocket Edition
1.0.0			alpha 0.17.0.1				Emeralds can now be found in end city ship chests.
							Emeralds can now be found in igloo basement chests.
1.0.4			alpha 1.0.4.0				Emeralds are now used as "currency" for villager trading.
1.1.0			alpha 1.1.0.0				Added evokers and vindicators, which drop emeralds when killed.
[hide]Bedrock Edition
1.4.0			beta 1.2.14.2				Emeralds can now be found in some shipwreck chests.
			beta 1.2.20.1				Emeralds can now be found inside underwater ruins chests.
1.10.0			beta 1.10.0.3				Emeralds can now be used to buy items from wandering traders.
							Emeralds can now be found in plains village house and tannery chests.
							The texture of emeralds has now been changed.
1.11.0			beta 1.11.0.1				Emeralds can now be found in village chests other than plains.
			beta 1.11.0.4				Vindicators and pillagers that spawn from raids can now drop bonus emeralds.
			beta 1.11.0.5				The texture of emeralds has now been changed, once again.
1.13.0			beta 1.13.0.1				Added foxes, which can drop emeralds.
1.19.70 Experiment Next Major Update			Preview 1.19.70.23				Emeralds now drop when brushing suspicious sand in desert pyramids or desert wells.
1.19.80 Experiment Next Major Update			Preview 1.19.80.21				Emeralds can now be used as an armor trim material.
1.20.60 Experiment Update 1.21			Preview 1.20.60.20				Emeralds now generate in trial chambers in decorated pots.
							Emeralds now generate as loot from trial spawners.
1.20.70 Experiment Update 1.21			Preview 1.20.70.21				Emeralds now generate as loot from vaults.
1.21.0 Experiment Update 1.21			Preview 1.21.0.20				Emeralds now generate as loot from ominous vaults.
							Emeralds no longer generate as loot from trial spawners.
[hide]Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU14	CU1	1.04	1.00	1.00	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added emeralds.
							Emeralds can be traded with villagers in exchange for different items.
							Added desert pyramids, with a hidden chest room and loot containing emeralds.
TU19	CU7	1.12	1.12	1.12			Emeralds can be used to activate beacons.
TU43	CU33	1.36	1.36	1.36	Patch 13		Emeralds now generate in igloo basement chests.
TU46	CU36	1.38	1.38	1.38	Patch 15		Emeralds now generate in end city chests.
TU54	CU44	1.52	1.52	1.52	Patch 24	1.0.4	Added vindicators and evokers, which drop emeralds if killed by a player.
TU60	CU51	1.64	1.64	1.64	Patch 30	1.0.11	Emeralds can now be found in chests in strongholds.
TU69		1.76	1.76	1.76	Patch 38		Emeralds can now generate in the loot chests of underwater ruins.
							Emeralds can now generate in buried treasure chests.
							Emeralds can now generate in the chests of shipwrecks.
			1.90				The texture of emeralds has now been changed.
			1.91				Vindicators and pillagers that spawn from raids can now drop bonus emeralds.
[hide]New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0							Added emeralds.

• 

  The first image of the trading system released by Jeb. What would become emeralds can be seen in the inventory space.

Data history

[hide]Java Edition
1.13			17w47a				Prior to The Flattening, this item's numeral ID was 388.

Issues

Issues relating to "Emerald" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Gallery

Screenshots

• 

  All forms of emeralds in one photo: emerald (in the form of block, ore and the emerald itself).

• 

  Noor trading an emerald for a diamond.

• 

  Ari claiming an emerald from an ominous vault.

In other media

• 

  An emerald as it appeared in Minecraft Earth.

• 

  An emerald as it appears in Minecraft Dungeons.

• 

  An alternative design for rubies, in the form of a recolored programmer art emerald.

• 

  "Emerald Mint" flavored ice cream.