Prismarine Shard
Prismarine Shard is a teal crafting item dropped by guardians at ocean monuments, used to make prismarine, prismarine bricks, and sea lanterns.
Description
Prismarine Shard is the base ingredient for the entire prismarine block family: four Prismarine Shards in a 2×2 grid make one prismarine block, nine shards fill a 3×3 grid to make prismarine bricks, and four shards plus one ink sac produce dark prismarine. Combining one Prismarine Shard with four prismarine crystals crafts a sea lantern, a waterproof light source ideal for underwater bases. Builders stockpile Prismarine Shard to recreate the shifting blue-green palette of ocean monuments in aquariums, fountains, and coastal builds.
Minecraft Guide
How to get Prismarine Shards in Minecraft
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1
Find an ocean monument
Explore deep ocean biomes until you locate an ocean monument, the large prismarine structure where guardians and elder guardians spawn.
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2
Prepare for underwater combat
Drink Potions of Water Breathing and Night Vision and bring an enchanted sword or trident, because guardians fire a damaging laser beam underwater.
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3
Clear the elder guardians
Defeat the three elder guardians first to cancel the Mining Fatigue effect they apply across the entire ocean monument.
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4
Farm guardians for shards
Kill guardians to collect 0–2 Prismarine Shards each, and use a sword with Looting III to raise the drop to as many as 5 shards per kill.
An automatic guardian farm built around the monument lets you stockpile Prismarine Shard by the hundreds for large prismarine builds.
Used in crafts
- Dark Prismarine
- Prismarine Bricks
- Prismarine
- Sea Lantern
- Sea Lantern
- Sea Lantern
Frequently asked questions
How do you get Prismarine Shards in Minecraft?
Prismarine Shards drop only from guardians and elder guardians, which spawn at ocean monuments in deep ocean biomes. Each guardian drops 0–2 shards, up to 5 with Looting III.
What can you craft with Prismarine Shards?
Prismarine Shards craft prismarine (4 shards), prismarine bricks (9 shards), dark prismarine (4 shards plus 1 ink sac), and sea lanterns (1 shard plus 4 prismarine crystals).
Can you craft Prismarine Shards?
No. Prismarine Shards have no crafting recipe and are not found in chests, so killing guardians is the only renewable way to obtain them.
What is the difference between Prismarine Shards and prismarine crystals?
Prismarine Shards build the prismarine blocks, while prismarine crystals add the glow; a sea lantern needs both, using 1 shard and 4 crystals.
Which version added Prismarine Shards?
Prismarine Shards were added in Java Edition 1.8, the Bountiful Update, alongside ocean monuments, guardians, and elder guardians.
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