How to Get Prismarine in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Farm guardians at an ocean monument: without Looting, they drop 0-2 prismarine shards and have a 40% chance to drop a prismarine crystal. Looting III raises the shard maximum to 5. Four shards craft a prismarine block; 4 shards + 5 crystals craft a sea lantern.

What you need

Water breathing potions or a conduit
Looting III sword
Armor, food and a reliable way to breathe underwater
Pickaxe for sea lanterns (no Silk Touch if you want crystals)

Step by step

Find an ocean monument in a deep ocean biome. Bring water breathing potions, good armor and food. A door can provide an air pocket in Java only; sponges remove water rather than supplying air by themselves.
Kill the three elder guardians (one in the top room and one in each wing) to stop new Mining Fatigue applications. Then drink milk or wait for the existing effect to expire before mining.
Farm guardians for shards and crystals: without Looting, each drops 0-2 shards and has a 40% chance to drop 1 crystal. Looting raises the maximum counts: up to 5 shards and 4 crystals with Looting III, while the crystal drop chance remains 40%.
For steady output, use a guardian farm design for your edition. Bedrock guardians use 25 fixed spawning columns; Java and Bedrock layouts are not interchangeable.
Mine sea lanterns for crystals: without Silk Touch they drop 2-3 prismarine crystals. In Java, Fortune can increase this to a maximum of 5; in Bedrock, Fortune does not increase these drops. Use Silk Touch if you want the sea lantern block itself.
Check buried treasure chests: since 1.13, prismarine crystals can generate in buried treasure - a nice early-game source before you can take on a monument.
Craft the blocks: 4 shards in a 2x2 grid make prismarine, 9 shards make prismarine bricks, 8 shards plus black dye make dark prismarine, and 4 shards + 5 crystals make a sea lantern (light level 15).

Java vs Bedrock

Sea lanterns drop 2-3 crystals without Silk Touch. Fortune can increase that to a maximum of 5 in Java, but does not increase the drops in Bedrock. Guardian farm designs also differ: Bedrock uses 25 fixed spawning columns. Killing elders stops new Mining Fatigue applications but does not clear an existing effect.

Versions: Describes the current Java and Bedrock releases. See the edition note above for differences.

Frequently asked questions

What drops prismarine shards?

Guardians and elder guardians, found only at ocean monuments. Each guardian drops 0-2 shards, up to 5 with Looting III.

How do you get prismarine crystals?

Without Looting, guardians have a 40% chance to drop 1 crystal. Sea lanterns broken without Silk Touch drop 2-3; Fortune can raise the maximum to 5 in Java, but not in Bedrock. Crystals can also appear in buried treasure chests.

Is prismarine renewable?

Yes: guardians respawn constantly inside the monument's spawn area, so a guardian farm produces unlimited shards and crystals.

What is prismarine used for?

Building blocks (prismarine, prismarine bricks, dark prismarine with their animated texture) and sea lanterns, one of the strongest light sources in the game at level 15.