What are emeralds used for in Minecraft Pocket Edition?

Emerald functions as an in-game currency for Minecraft. However, it uses this system differently compared to other games.

Many games offer in-game currency as a way to buy upgrades and other items, and they usually cost an outside fee from the standard game purchase. Minecraft, however, only offers in-game purchases for maps, skins and other items and it uses coins rather than emeralds.

Emeralds are the only way to actually buy essentials within the world of Minecraft. Here's what they're used for in the Minecraft Pocket Edition.

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Emeralds in Minecraft Pocked Edition

Minecraft Pocket Edition does have a few differences from other versions of Minecraft. For one, it's much cheaper. It costs $7 USD to download, whereas most other versions cost players about $30 USD.

It also uses the touch screen, which only the Nintendo Switch can also offer, though the functions of the touch screen are limited compared to Pocket Edition. Gameplay remains largely the same, though, with only a change in controls.

oh to be ten years old listening to the last time on repeat while building a hospital on minecraft pocket edition lite

— mo (@sapphicmoss) August 5, 2021

This means that emeralds are used for the same thing in the Pocket Edition as they are in any other versions. They remain the source for emerald blocks and trades. Villagers will have trades available, provided they aren't nitwits and have job blocks connected to them.

These trades always involve emeralds. Either the player will spend the gemstones to acquire items, or they'll trade items to the villager for them. With Hero of the Village, this can become a great way to acquire lots of items or emeralds.

Emerald blocks are the only other use for these gemstones, as there are no emerald weapons or armor in the game. These blocks do have a use, though. Aside from being very expensive decorative blocks, they can be used to power a beacon.

A beacon is crafted with a Nether star, five glass blocks and three blocks of Obsidian. It will also need a lot of blocks made of either emeralds, gold, diamonds or iron.

Since emeralds are arguably easier to collect than most other resources, they often become the go-to block for fully powering a beacon. They don't have as much use as the other blocks, either.

Diamonds are much too valuable to be put into blocks and the same can be said for iron. Gold can be used to barter with Piglins, which leaves emeralds.

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