Ice Crystal

This article describes content that is currently in development.

This content has appeared in development versions for Fourth Drop 2026, but the full update adding it has not been released yet.

Ice Crystal

Rarity tier	Common
Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)
Tool
Blast resistance	1.5
Hardness	1.5
Luminous	Yes (4)
Transparent	Partial
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No
Map color	5 ICE
Note block instrument	Chime

An ice crystal is a light-emitting block that generates in ice caves. They also can emit ambient sounds when placed above packed ice.

Obtaining

Breaking

Ice crystals can be mined with any tool, but pickaxes are the quickest.

Block	Ice Crystal
Hardness	1.5
Tool
Breaking time (sec)[A]
Default	12.25 (JE) 2.25 (BE)
Wooden	11.15 (JE) 1.15 (BE)
Stone	10.6 (JE) 0.6 (BE)
Copper	10.45 (JE) 0.45 (BE)
Iron	10.4 (JE) 0.4 (BE)
Diamond	10.3 (JE) 0.3 (BE)
Netherite	10.25 (JE) 0.25 (BE)
Golden	10.2 (JE) 0.2 (BE)
Options
Efficiency	000
Haste	001 1JEBE

Legend

• incorrect tool, drops nothing
• correct tool, drops nothing or something other than the block itself
• correct tool, drops the block itself
• italicized can be instant mined

Natural generation

Ice crystals naturally generate on the floor in ice caves.

Trading

Wandering traders may sell 1 ice crystal for 2 emeralds as one of their ordinary selling trades, with 5 trades in stock.

Usage

Decoration

Ice crystals can be placed on most blocks in any axis for decoration, given that the block is solid and has at least one side that form a full surface. For example, they can be placed on the bottom of stairs (or top of upside down stairs), but not on their side, or top. They can also be placed on the bottom of bottom slabs and on the top of top slabs. Of blocks that meet these criteria, some are still excluded.

Ice crystals cannot be placed on:

• All non-solid blocks
• Blocks without any full surfaces, like fences, fence gates, walls, glass panes, iron bars, lightning rods, chains, heads, grindstones, bells, lanterns, cauldrons, anvils, conduits, decorated pots, chests, and pointed dripstone
• Leaves
• Big dripleaf
• Honey blocks
• Chorus flowers

Light

Ice crystals emit a soft light with a level of 4. As with other weak light sources, their light is not strong enough to melt ice, icicles, or snow. With the "Render Dragon Features for Creators" experiment, ice crystals have a light color of
 #b0dad3.

Ambient sounds

An ice crystal has a chance to emit ambient sounds where there is a block of packed ice directly below it. An ice crystal can emit sounds even if not attached to packed ice.^[1]

Sounds

Generic

Java Edition:

ice_crystal sound type
Sound	Closed captions	Source	Description	Identifier	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	​Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	block.ice_crystal.break	subtitles.block.generic.break​	1.0	0.8	16
	​Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	block.ice_crystal.place	subtitles.block.generic.place​	1.0	0.8	16
	​Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	block.ice_crystal.hit	subtitles.block.generic.hit​	0.25	0.5	16
	​Something falls on a block	Entity-Dependent	Falling on the block with fall damage	block.ice_crystal.fall	subtitles.block.generic.fall​	0.5	0.75	16
	​Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	block.ice_crystal.step	subtitles.block.generic.footsteps​	0.15	1.0	16

Unique

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Translation key
Ice Crystal	ice_crystal	Block & Item	block.minecraft.ice_crystal

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID[i 1]	Block tags	Item tags	Translation key
Ice Crystal	ice_crystal	1503	Block & Giveable Item[i 2]	Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -1248)	minecraft:is_pickaxe_item_destructible	minecraft:is_pickaxe_item_destructible	tile.ice_crystal.name

Block states

Java Edition:

Bedrock Edition:

Models

This section is experimental - see Forum:Add blockstates definition data to the Data values section of block pages for more info

Model definition

Name	Parent	Assigned textures
block/ice_crystal	block/cross		cross = block/ice_crystal
item/ice_crystal	item/generated		layer0 = item/ice_crystal

Block states definition

State combinations

All distinct block states^{[note 1]}

Appearance	When
	facing	=	up
	facing	=	north
	facing	=	east
	facing	=	south
	facing	=	west
	facing	=	down

Item definition

History

Announcement

September 26, 2026							Ice crystals have been announced at Minecraft LIVE - September 2026.

Java Edition

Upcoming Java Edition
26.4			snap3				Added ice crystals.
			snap6				Added ambient sounds to ice crystals.

Bedrock Edition

Bedrock Edition
26.60 Experiment Drop 4 of 2026			Preview 26.60.29				Added ice crystals.
Upcoming Bedrock Edition
26.70 Experiment Render Dragon Features for Creators			Preview 26.70.20				Added a static light color for ice crystals,  #b0dad3.
26.70			Preview 26.70.20				All features from the "Drop 4 of 2026" experiment have been implemented in vanilla.
							The texture of ice crystals has been changed to match Java Edition.
			Preview 26.70.22				Added ambient sounds that may play if there is a block of packed ice below the block.
							Wandering traders now sell one ice crystal for two emeralds.

Issues

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

Gallery

Screenshots

• 
  Ice crystals near the corner of a cave
• 
  A functional staircase made from ice crystals and packed ice, which uses the half-block height of ice crystals to let players step up easily

Mojang screenshots

• 
  Ice crystals in a large ice caves biome
• 
  More ice crystals in a cave
• 
• 

Notes

References