Tinted Glass
Tinted Glass blocks all light passage but stays transparent for vision — the only block in vanilla with that combination.
Description
The practical applications are specific but valuable. Sky-blocked but visually-open windows let players see outside without sunlight reaching the floor, perfect for mob spawners that should run during day. Glass-walled rooms using the tinted variant stay dark inside even with a sunny exterior, useful for horror builds, photographic studios, and atmospheric interior lighting that should not bleed when day arrives. Unlike regular glass, this block drops itself when broken without silk touch — the amethyst infusion makes it sturdier than the parent material. Mining is fastest with any pickaxe but does not require one; bare hands break it, just slowly.
Guide
How to Craft and Use Tinted Glass in Minecraft
-
1
Find an amethyst geode
Amethyst geodes generate underground between Y=70 and Y=-58 in any biome. Look for the distinctive smooth basalt outer shell with white calcite beneath it.
-
2
Mine amethyst clusters for shards
Break fully grown amethyst clusters with any iron pickaxe or better to collect 4 amethyst shards per cluster. Budding amethyst blocks cannot be moved or mined.
-
3
Smelt sand into glass
Place sand or red sand in a furnace with any fuel — one sand block yields one glass block. This is the base material for the recipe.
-
4
Craft tinted glass at a crafting table
Place 1 glass block in the center of a 3x3 crafting grid and put 1 amethyst shard above, below, left, and right of it. One craft yields 2 tinted glass blocks.
-
5
Place as light-blocking windows or ceilings
Use tinted glass wherever you need a surface that looks transparent but keeps the area behind it dark — mob spawner ceilings, observation rooms, or atmospheric horror builds.
Tinted Glass drops itself when broken without Silk Touch, unlike regular glass which shatters. This makes it safe to reuse in builds without a special enchantment.
How to craft this block
Frequently asked questions
How do you craft Tinted Glass?
Place 1 glass block in the center of a crafting table and put 1 amethyst shard above, below, left, and right of it. One craft yields 2 tinted glass blocks.
Does Tinted Glass block sunlight?
Yes. Tinted Glass is completely opaque to light — sky light drops to zero behind it, making a room under a tinted glass roof as dark as one covered by stone. Mobs can spawn in the resulting darkness.
Do you need Silk Touch to pick up Tinted Glass?
No. Tinted Glass drops itself when broken without any enchantment, unlike regular glass which shatters without Silk Touch.
What version added Tinted Glass?
Tinted Glass was added in Java Edition 1.17 and Bedrock Edition 1.17.0, both released as part of the Caves & Cliffs update in 2021.
Can you see through Tinted Glass?
Yes — visually. Players and mobs see through Tinted Glass normally. Only light is blocked, making it ideal for mob spawners where visibility is needed but daylight must be kept out.
Where do you get amethyst shards to craft Tinted Glass?
Amethyst shards drop from fully grown amethyst clusters found inside amethyst geodes. Geodes generate underground and are surrounded by smooth basalt.
Minecraft and all related materials are trademarks and copyrights of Mojang Studios © 2009–2026. This site is not an official Minecraft product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Mojang Studios or Microsoft Corporation.