Pokemon Gem Rate Rankings: the hardest and easiest cards to pull a PSA 10
Some cards gem 9 times out of 10. Others have been graded ten thousand times and produced a handful of PSA 10s. This page ranks both extremes — computed from real PSA population data across 31,273,343 graded cards. A card's gem rate is the share of its graded copies that came back a PSA 10.
Updated October 26, 2026 · Free to cite with a link to this page (CC BY 4.0) · Quotable as "according to PokeInvest data".
The hardest cards to gem
Minimum 1,000 graded copies. These are not obscure cards — they include some of the most graded cards in the hobby, and almost nobody gets a 10.
| # | Card | Set | Graded | PSA 10s | Gem rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rayquaza C LV.X #DP47 | Promo | 1,308 | 1 | 0.08% | |
| 2 | Typhlosion #17 | Neo Genesis | 4,353 | 4 | 0.09% | |
| 3 | Blissey #2 | Neo Revelation | 1,060 | 1 | 0.09% | |
| 4 | Lugia #9 | Neo Genesis | 12,665 | 15 | 0.12% | |
| 5 | Latios #XY79 | Promo | 1,375 | 2 | 0.15% | |
| 6 | Venusaur #13 | Promo | 5,435 | 9 | 0.17% | |
| 7 | Ampharos #1 | Neo Revelation | 1,172 | 2 | 0.17% | |
| 8 | Team Aqua's Kyogre EX #6 | Double Crisis | 6,149 | 11 | 0.18% | |
| 9 | Dark Magneton #11 | Team Rocket | 3,089 | 6 | 0.19% | |
| 10 | Vaporeon #12 | Jungle | 16,900 | 35 | 0.21% | |
| 11 | Butterfree #12 | Japanese Jungle | 16,859 | 35 | 0.21% | |
| 12 | Latias #XY78 | Promo | 1,440 | 3 | 0.21% | |
| 13 | Heracross #6 | Neo Genesis | 1,885 | 4 | 0.21% | |
| 14 | Hitmonchan #62 | Evolutions | 3,102 | 7 | 0.23% | |
| 15 | Lugia #2 | POP Series 5 | 1,297 | 3 | 0.23% | |
| 16 | Machamp [1st Edition] #8 | Base Set | 7,814 | 20 | 0.26% | |
| 17 | Magneton #38 | Evolutions | 3,441 | 9 | 0.26% | |
| 18 | Wigglytuff #19 | Base Set 2 | 4,197 | 11 | 0.26% | |
| 19 | Slowking #14 | Neo Genesis | 3,399 | 9 | 0.26% | |
| 20 | Kangaskhan #5 | Jungle | 10,533 | 29 | 0.28% | |
| 21 | Dialga #XY77 | Promo | 1,064 | 3 | 0.28% | |
| 22 | Eevee #11 | Promo | 10,726 | 31 | 0.29% | |
| 23 | Eevee #BW94 | Promo | 1,380 | 4 | 0.29% | |
| 24 | Charizard #4 | Base Set 2 | 24,008 | 70 | 0.29% | |
| 25 | Team Magma's Groudon EX #15 | Double Crisis | 6,301 | 19 | 0.30% |
The easiest cards to gem
Modern printing and packaging is a different sport — recent Japanese cards routinely gem above 90%.
| # | Card | Set | Graded | PSA 10s | Gem rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mega Rayquaza ex #110 | Japanese Storm Emeralda | 2,502 | 2,396 | 95.76% | |
| 2 | Mega Darkrai ex #114 | Japanese Abyss Eye | 11,768 | 11,163 | 94.86% | |
| 3 | Mega Starmie ex #111 | Japanese Nihil Zero | 2,242 | 2,126 | 94.83% | |
| 4 | Morpeko V #227 | Japanese VMAX Climax | 1,080 | 1,022 | 94.63% | |
| 5 | Mega Clefable ex #112 | Japanese Nihil Zero | 1,956 | 1,849 | 94.53% | |
| 6 | Meowth ex #114 | Japanese Nihil Zero | 8,105 | 7,637 | 94.23% | |
| 7 | Mega Greninja Ex #98 | Japanese Ninja Spinner | 2,246 | 2,115 | 94.17% | |
| 8 | Lapras VMAX #312 | Japanese Shiny Star V | 1,027 | 966 | 94.06% | |
| 9 | Weavile #51 | Japanese Dream League | 1,366 | 1,283 | 93.92% | |
| 10 | Klinklang #148 | Japanese White Flare | 1,075 | 1,009 | 93.86% | |
| 11 | Xerneas #89 | Japanese Ninja Spinner | 4,965 | 4,660 | 93.86% | |
| 12 | Mega Froslass ex #233 | Japanese Mega Dream ex | 5,039 | 4,728 | 93.83% | |
| 13 | Mega Dragalge Ex #116 | Japanese Ninja Spinner | 1,255 | 1,177 | 93.78% | |
| 14 | Sprigatito #75 | Japanese Triplet Beat | 4,999 | 4,679 | 93.60% | |
| 15 | Mega Greninja Ex #114 | Japanese Ninja Spinner | 22,743 | 21,281 | 93.57% | |
| 16 | N's Zoroark ex #131 | Japanese Battle Partners | 3,737 | 3,491 | 93.42% | |
| 17 | Deoxys VMAX #222 | Japanese VSTAR Universe | 6,737 | 6,290 | 93.36% | |
| 18 | Zacian V #329 | Japanese Shiny Star V | 1,443 | 1,347 | 93.35% | |
| 19 | Ditto VMAX #324 | Japanese Shiny Star V | 1,577 | 1,472 | 93.34% | |
| 20 | Hop's Zacian ex #128 | Japanese Battle Partners | 3,902 | 3,641 | 93.31% | |
| 21 | Arcanine EX #92 | Japanese Violet Ex | 3,381 | 3,154 | 93.29% | |
| 22 | Chi-Yu ex #92 | Japanese Clay Burst | 2,670 | 2,489 | 93.22% | |
| 23 | Watchog #95 | Japanese Ninja Spinner | 2,951 | 2,750 | 93.19% | |
| 24 | Lapras VMAX #32 | Japanese Shiny Star V | 1,082 | 1,008 | 93.16% | |
| 25 | Crobat #91 | Japanese Ninja Spinner | 2,365 | 2,203 | 93.15% |
The long shots: biggest payoffs, worst odds
The pattern that ties this whole dataset together: the biggest grading paydays sit behind the hardest gems. A cheap raw copy of these cards is worth hundreds of times more as a PSA 10 — precisely because a 10 almost never happens.
| Card | Set | Raw | PSA 10 | Multiple | Gem odds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gliscor LV. X #141 | Legends Awakened | $68 | $186,095 | 2,717x | 3.72% | |
| Gyarados #12 | Legendary Collection | $36 | $64,991 | 1,820x | 4.12% | |
| Suicune #30 | Promo | $15 | $26,035 | 1,781x | 5.49% | |
| Groudon #6 | Call of Legends | $10 | $15,634 | 1,627x | 7.52% | |
| Misdreavus [1st Edition] #11 | Neo Revelation | $137 | $211,200 | 1,541x | 2.11% | |
| Charizard G [Reverse Holo] #20 | Supreme Victors | $53 | $71,471 | 1,349x | 2.03% | |
| Infernape LV.X #DP10 | Promo | $27 | $33,801 | 1,265x | 1.00% | |
| Gallade EX #99 | Roaring Skies | $18 | $22,000 | 1,256x | 4.70% | |
| Ho-Oh #9 | Call of Legends | $24 | $29,142 | 1,205x | 4.64% | |
| Giratina #BW74 | Promo | $263 | $316,167 | 1,201x | 0.83% | |
| Zapdos #14 | Majestic Dawn | $25 | $29,990 | 1,200x | 2.96% | |
| Lugia #HGSS02 | Promo | $70 | $76,842 | 1,100x | 3.33% | |
| Blastoise #16 | Plasma Blast | $11 | $11,112 | 1,037x | 4.87% | |
| Mewtwo #11 | Legends Awakened | $61 | $59,082 | 969x | 1.91% | |
| Moltres #10 | Majestic Dawn | $36 | $33,658 | 944x | 5.14% |
Multiples are gross (before grading fees and selling fees), based on current market prices. The gem odds column is why "just grade it" is rarely that simple.
Wondering about a specific card?
Run it through the free grading calculator — it weighs the PSA 10 payoff against fees and real gem odds.
Open the PSA calculatorWant the full list, ranked by expected profit?
The PokeInvest Grade Report ranks the best cards to grade right now — gem odds, fees, and PSA 9 downside included.
See the Grade ReportGem rate questions
What is a gem rate in Pokemon cards?
A gem rate is the share of a card's graded copies that came back a PSA 10 (Gem Mint): PSA 10 population divided by total graded population. A card with 1,000 graded copies and 250 PSA 10s has a 25% gem rate.
What is a good gem rate for PSA?
Across every Pokemon card we track the PSA 10 rate is 51.3%. Modern cards (2023 and later) gem at 61.3% and vintage cards (before 2003) at 13.7%. A card well above its era's rate is easy to gem; well below it, hard. Judge a card against its own era, not the overall number.
Which Pokemon cards have the lowest gem rate?
The hardest-to-gem table below lists the cards with at least 1,000 graded copies and the lowest PSA 10 rates. Low gem rates usually come from centering, edge wear on dark borders, or print lines on holo foil.
Does a low gem rate make a card more valuable?
Often in PSA 10: fewer 10s exist, so the PSA 10 sells at a larger multiple of raw. It also means a raw copy you send in is less likely to come back a 10, so check the PSA 9 price before grading.
Methodology
Gem rate = PSA 10 population ÷ total graded population for that exact card and variant, from PSA's published population report data tracked by PokeInvest. Hardest/easiest tables require at least 1,000 graded copies; long shots require 300+ graded copies and use current market prices for raw and PSA 10 values. Population data reflects the most recent PokeInvest import and updates as PSA grades more cards.
Cite freely with a link: "According to PokeInvest gem rate data (pokeinvest.io/gem-rates) …"
