Suspicious Sand

Suspicious Sand
Rarity tier	Common
Renewable	No
Stackable	Yes (64)
Tools
Blast resistance	0.25
Hardness	0.25
Luminous	No
Transparent	No
Flammable	No
Catches fire; from lava	No
Map color (JE)	; 2 SAND

Suspicious sand is a fragile gravity-affected block found in various Overworld structures. It can be brushed to extract structure-dependent loot, and are a source of pottery sherds alongside suspicious gravel and trial chambers. Suspicious sand drops nothing if broken, and breaks if it falls from any height or is moved with a piston.

Obtaining

Breaking

Suspicious sand is unobtainable by mining, even using a tool enchanted with Silk Touch. It is much softer than normal sand, and can be instantly broken with merely an unenchanted diamond shovel. It is affected by gravity, but it always breaks with no drop after falling. It breaks immediately if pushed by a piston or sticky piston, and cannot be pulled by sticky pistons or slime blocks. It also breaks immediately without dropping when affected by explosions.

In Java Edition, suspicious sand drops as an item if it falls for more than 30 seconds, which can be achieved by falling into an upward bubble column, or through two cobwebs stacked on top of each other.^[1] However, it does not retain its loot. It is also not clear if this block is intended to be obtained this way.

In Creative mode, the player can obtain suspicious sand while retaining its loot by using Ctrl + pick block on the block.

Block
Hardness	0.25
Tool
Breaking time (sec)^[A]
Default	0.4
Wooden	0.2
Stone	0.1
Copper	0.1
Iron	0.1
Diamond	0.05
Netherite	0.05
Golden	0.05
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

↑ These durations ignore other influential factors (e.g. Mining Fatigue), and are measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.

Natural generation

Suspicious sand generates naturally in buried rooms under desert pyramids, as well as in the bottom of desert wells. It also generates within warm ocean ruins.

Usage

Brushing

When a brush is used on a suspicious sand, cracks start to appear on all sides of the block as the dusted block state of the block starts to increase. If the suspicious sand being brushed is naturally generated, an item gradually emerges from the side where the player starts brushing. After 96 (6+20+30+40 per stage) game ticks (4.8 seconds), the item is extracted, and the suspicious sand is converted into sand.

If the player stops brushing a suspicious sand, the block remains in its half-excavated state for a few seconds, before gradually returning to its unexcavated state one stage at a time.

Loot

The item obtained and the loot table of suspicious sand is dependent on which structure it has generated in. Items can be extracted only from naturally generated suspicious sand. When placed by the player, nothing is produced after brushing.

In Java Edition and Bedrock Edition, each warm ocean ruin's suspicious sand contains 1 item stack, with the following distribution:

Item	Stack Size ^[A]	Weight ^[B]	Chance ^[C]	Avg. per block ^[D]	Avg. # blocks to brush ^[E]
Coal	1	²⁄₁₅	13.3%	0.133	7.5
Emerald	1	²⁄₁₅	13.3%	0.133	7.5
Wheat	1	²⁄₁₅	13.3%	0.133	7.5
Wooden Hoe	1	²⁄₁₅	13.3%	0.133	7.5
Gold Nugget	1	²⁄₁₅	13.3%	0.133	7.5
Angler Pottery Sherd	1	¹⁄₁₅	6.7%	0.067	15.0
Shelter Pottery Sherd	1	¹⁄₁₅	6.7%	0.067	15.0
Sniffer Egg	1	¹⁄₁₅	6.7%	0.067	15.0
Snort Pottery Sherd	1	¹⁄₁₅	6.7%	0.067	15.0
Iron Axe	1	¹⁄₁₅	6.7%	0.067	15.0

↑ The size of stacks (or for unstackable items, number) of this item on any given roll.
↑ The weight of this item relative to other items in the pool.
↑ The odds of finding any of this item in a single chest.
↑ The number of items expected per chest, averaged over a large number of chests.
↑ The average number of chests the player should expect to search to find any of this item.

In Java Edition and Bedrock Edition, each desert temple's suspicious sand contains 1 item stack, with the following distribution:

Item	Stack Size ^[A]	Weight ^[B]	Chance ^[C]	Avg. per block ^[D]	Avg. # blocks to brush ^[E]
Archer Pottery Sherd	1	¹⁄₈	12.5%	0.125	8.0
Emerald	1	¹⁄₈	12.5%	0.125	8.0
Gunpowder	1	¹⁄₈	12.5%	0.125	8.0
Miner Pottery Sherd	1	¹⁄₈	12.5%	0.125	8.0
Prize Pottery Sherd	1	¹⁄₈	12.5%	0.125	8.0
Skull Pottery Sherd	1	¹⁄₈	12.5%	0.125	8.0
TNT	1	¹⁄₈	12.5%	0.125	8.0
Diamond	1	¹⁄₈	12.5%	0.125	8.0

↑ The size of stacks (or for unstackable items, number) of this item on any given roll.
↑ The weight of this item relative to other items in the pool.
↑ The odds of finding any of this item in a single chest.
↑ The number of items expected per chest, averaged over a large number of chests.
↑ The average number of chests the player should expect to search to find any of this item.

In Java Edition and Bedrock Edition, each desert well's suspicious sand contains 1 item stack, with the following distribution:

Item	Stack Size ^[A]	Weight ^[B]	Chance ^[C]	Avg. per block ^[D]	Avg. # blocks to brush ^[E]
Arms Up Pottery Sherd	1	²⁄₈	25.0%	0.250	4.0
Brewer Pottery Sherd	1	²⁄₈	25.0%	0.250	4.0
Brick	1	¹⁄₈	12.5%	0.125	8.0
Emerald	1	¹⁄₈	12.5%	0.125	8.0
Stick	1	¹⁄₈	12.5%	0.125	8.0
Suspicious Stew^[F]	1	¹⁄₈	12.5%	0.125	8.0

↑ The size of stacks (or for unstackable items, number) of this item on any given roll.
↑ The weight of this item relative to other items in the pool.
↑ The odds of finding any of this item in a single chest.
↑ The number of items expected per chest, averaged over a large number of chests.
↑ The average number of chests the player should expect to search to find any of this item.
↑ The stew grants one of the following effects: 5–7 seconds of Blindness, 7–10 seconds of Jump Boost, 7-10 seconds of Night Vision, 10–20 seconds of Poison, 0.35-0.5 seconds of Saturation, or 6–8 seconds of Weakness.

Turtle eggs

A turtle egg can hatch only if placed on suspicious sand, regular sand, or red sand.

Sounds

Generic

Java Edition:

v t e `suspicious_sand` sound type
Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	`block.suspicious_sand.break`	`subtitles.block.generic.break`	1.0	0.8	16
	Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	`block.suspicious_sand.place`	`subtitles.block.generic.place`	1.0	0.8	16
	Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`block.suspicious_sand.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.suspicious_sand.fall`	`subtitles.block.generic.fall`	0.5	0.75	16
	Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	`block.suspicious_sand.step`	`subtitles.block.generic.footsteps`	0.15	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

v t e `suspicious_sand` sound type
Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	Once the block has broken	`break.suspicious_sand`	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Blocks	When the block is placed	`place.suspicious_sand`	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`hit.suspicious_sand`	0.23	0.5
	Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	`step.suspicious_sand`	0.4	1.0
	Players	Walking on the block	`step.suspicious_sand`	0.2	1.0
	Players	Jumping from the block	`step.suspicious_sand`	0.12	1.0
	Players	Falling on the block without fall damage	`step.suspicious_sand`	0.18	1.0

Unique

Java Edition

Sounds
Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Brushing Sand	Blocks	While a brush is brushing suspicious sand	`item.brush.brushing.sand`	`subtitles.item.brush.brushing.sand`	0.6	0.6	16
	Brushing Sand completed	Players^{[sound 1]}	When a brush finishes brushing suspicious sand	`item.brush.brushing.sand.complete`	`subtitles.item.brush.brushing.sand.complete`	1.0	1.0	16

↑ MC-260202

Bedrock Edition:

Sounds
Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Players	While a brush is brushing suspicious sand	`brush.suspicious_sand`	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Players	When a brush finishes brushing suspicious sand	`brush_completed.suspicious_sand`	1.0	0.8-1.0

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Block tags	Item tags	Translation key
Suspicious Sand	`suspicious_sand`	Block & Item	`bamboo_plantable_on` `enderman_holdable` `sand` `lush_ground_replaceable` `mineable/shovel`	`sand`	`block.minecraft.suspicious_sand`

Name	Identifier
Block entity	`brushable_block`

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID^{[i 1]}	Translation key
Suspicious Sand	`suspicious_sand`	`784`	Block & Giveable Item^{[i 2]}	Identical^{[i 3]} (Numeric: `-529`)	`tile.suspicious_sand.name`

↑ ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.
↑ Available with /give command.
↑ The block's direct item form has the same ID as the block.

Name	Savegame ID
Block entity	`BrushableBlock`

Block states

Java Edition:

Name	Default value	Allowed values	Description
dusted	`0`	`0` `1` `2` `3`	Increases as the block is being brushed.

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Metadata Bits	Default value	Allowed values	Values for Metadata Bits	Description
brushed_progress	Not Supported	`0`	`0` `1` `2` `3`	`Unsupported`	Increases as the block is being brushed.
hanging	Not Supported	`true`	`true` `false`	`Unsupported`	If there is a block under this block or not.

Block data

[NBT Compound / JSON Object] Block entity data
- Tags common to all block entities see Template:Nbt inherit/blockentity/template
- [String] LootTable: Optional. Name of the loot table to use. If this is used in a chest-like container, the loot table generates its content when it is opened. Generating the items in the container removes both loot table tags ([String] LootTable and [Long] LootTableSeed). Is not preserved when removed.
- [Long] LootTableSeed: Optional. Seed for generating the loot table. The default value works similarly to the seeds for worlds, where value of 0 or an omitted value causes the game to use a random seed.

- [NBT Compound / JSON Object] item: The item in the block. May not exist.
  - See item format.

Falling block entity

[NBT Compound / JSON Object] Dynamic block entity data
- Tags common to all entities see Template:Nbt inherit/entity/template
- [NBT Compound / JSON Object] BlockState: The falling block represented by this entity.
  - [String] Name: The resource location of the block.
  - [NBT Compound / JSON Object] Properties: Optional. The block states of the block.
    - [String] Name: The block state name and its value.
- [Byte] CancelDrop: 1 or 0 (true/false) - true if the block should be destroyed instead of placed after landing on a solid block. When true, the block is not dropped as an item, even if the DropItem tag is set to true. However, if the entity is deleted due to its Time value being too high, this tag is ignored and an item is dropped depending on the DropItem tag. CancelDrop defaults to 1 for falling suspicious sand and suspicious gravel, and 0 for the other vanilla falling blocks and any summoned falling block.
- [Byte] DropItem: 1 or 0 (true/false) – true if the block should drop as an item when it breaks. Any block that does not have an item form with the same ID as the block does not drop even if this is set.
- [Float] FallHurtAmount: Multiplied by the FallDistance to calculate the amount of damage to inflict. By default this value is 2HP for anvils, and 6HP for pointed dripstone.
- [Int] FallHurtMax: The maximum hit points of damage to inflict on entities that intersect this falling block. For vanilla falling blocks, always 40HP × 20.
- [Byte] HurtEntities: 1 or 0 (true/false) – true if the block should hurt entities it falls on. Defaults to 1 for anvils and pointed dripstone and to 0 for the other vanilla falling blocks and any summoned falling block.
- [NBT Compound / JSON Object] TileEntityData: Optional. The tags of the block entity for this block.
- [Int] Time: The number of ticks the entity has existed. When Time goes above 600, or above 100 while the block is at Y=-64 or is outside building height, the entity is deleted.

Advancements

Icon	Advancement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)
	Respecting the Remnants	Brush a Suspicious block to obtain a Pottery Sherd	Brush either suspicious sand or suspicious gravel and have any pottery sherd in the inventory. These two events can happen separately from one another.
	Smells Interesting	Obtain a Sniffer Egg	Have a sniffer egg in the inventory. This is a hidden advancement, meaning that it can be viewed by the player only after completing it, regardless of if its child advancement(s), if any, have been completed.

History

Java Edition
February 10, 2023		Suspicious sand is announced.
1.19.4 Experiment Update 1.20	23w07a	Added suspicious sand behind the "Update 1.20" experimental data pack.
1.20	23w12a	Suspicious sand is now available without using the "Update 1.20" experimental datapack.
	23w12a	Suspicious sand now generates in warm ocean ruins and the trail ruins.
	23w14a	Suspicious sand now has an assigned tool (shovel).
		A suspicious sand is now visible on the top layer of the newly added room in desert pyramids.
		Suspicious sand can now have cacti and sugar cane planted on it.
		Suspicious sand can no longer be replaced by sculk when a sculk catalyst triggers.
	23w16a	Suspicious sand no longer generates in trail ruins.
	23w17a	The player now gets the advancement "Respecting the Remnants" when they brush suspicious sand to obtain a pottery sherd.
Bedrock Edition
1.19.70 Experiment Next Major Update	Preview 1.19.70.23	Added suspicious sand behind the "Next Major Update" experimental toggle.
1.19.80 Experiment Next Major Update	Preview 1.19.80.20	When suspicious sand is done being brushed, it now turns into a normal sand block instead of just breaking.
	Preview 1.19.80.21	Suspicious sand now also generates within warm ocean ruins. It uses the same loot table as in desert temples.
	Preview 1.19.80.22	Suspicious sand now also generates within trail ruins.
	Preview 1.19.80.22	Reworked loot tables.
1.20.0	Preview 1.20.0.21	Suspicious sand is now available without using the "Next Major Update" experimental toggle.
1.20.0	Preview 1.20.0.22	Suspicious sand can now have bamboo, cacti, sugar cane, and dead bushes planted on it.

Issues

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

Gallery

Development Images

Prototype texture of suspicious sand.^[2]
Prototype of suspicious sand being brushed.
Ditto.
Ditto.

References

↑ MC-260073 — Suspicious sand drops as an item after 30 seconds of existing as falling block — resolved as "Won't Fix".
↑ "Minecraft 1.20: Armor Trims – What Do They Mean?" – Minecraft on YouTube, June 5, 2023

Navigation

[breakingtimenote-2] These durations ignore other influential factors (e.g. Mining Fatigue), and are measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.

[stacksize-3] The size of stacks (or for unstackable items, number) of this item on any given roll.

[weight-4] The weight of this item relative to other items in the pool.

[chance-5] The odds of finding any of this item in a single chest.

[items-6] The number of items expected per chest, averaged over a large number of chests.

[chests-7] The average number of chests the player should expect to search to find any of this item.

[stacksize-8] The size of stacks (or for unstackable items, number) of this item on any given roll.

[weight-9] The weight of this item relative to other items in the pool.

[chance-10] The odds of finding any of this item in a single chest.

[items-11] The number of items expected per chest, averaged over a large number of chests.

[chests-12] The average number of chests the player should expect to search to find any of this item.

[stacksize-13] The size of stacks (or for unstackable items, number) of this item on any given roll.

[weight-14] The weight of this item relative to other items in the pool.

[chance-15] The odds of finding any of this item in a single chest.

[items-16] The number of items expected per chest, averaged over a large number of chests.

[chests-17] The average number of chests the player should expect to search to find any of this item.

[suspicious-stew-18] The stew grants one of the following effects: 5–7 seconds of Blindness, 7–10 seconds of Jump Boost, 7-10 seconds of Night Vision, 10–20 seconds of Poison, 0.35-0.5 seconds of Saturation, or 6–8 seconds of Weakness.

[19] MC-260202

[bedrock-item-id-20] ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.

[bedrock-give-available-21] Available with /give command.

[bedrock-item-form-22] The block's direct item form has the same ID as the block.

[1] MC-260073 — Suspicious sand drops as an item after 30 seconds of existing as falling block — resolved as "Won't Fix".

[23] "Minecraft 1.20: Armor Trims – What Do They Mean?" – Minecraft on YouTube, June 5, 2023

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