The pyramid
A beacon sits on a pyramid of iron, gold, emerald, diamond or netherite blocks, in any mix. Each tier adds a square layer under the last: 3 × 3, then 5 × 5, 7 × 7 and 9 × 9, so the four tiers take 9, 34, 83 and 164 blocks in all. Every block is 9 ingots or gems, so a full iron pyramid is 1,476 iron ingots. Pick Mixed to choose a block for each layer; the bill then lists each material separately. The cheapest full pyramid is usually iron, since iron farms make it quickly; the beacon works the same whatever it stands on.
What each tier unlocks
Tier 1 gives Speed or Haste, tier 2 adds Resistance and Jump Boost, tier 3 adds Strength, and tier 4 adds a second power: Regeneration, or level II of the first effect you chose. To set the effects, open the beacon and pay one iron ingot, gold ingot, emerald, diamond or netherite ingot. The effect reaches 20, 30, 40 or 50 blocks out from the beacon, in a square rather than a circle, from that far below the beacon up to the top of the world. It lasts 9 seconds plus 2 for each tier and is renewed every 4 seconds while you stay in range.
Beam colour
Stained glass or stained glass panes on top of the beacon colour the beam. The first glass block sets the colour outright. Each glass block above it that is a different colour averages red, green and blue with the colour so far, rounding down, so the top block always counts for half and the ones below count for less and less. A block the same colour as the beam already is changes nothing. The colours are the game's own values for each dye, shown as plain swatches; the beam in the game is drawn brighter and partly see-through, so it can look lighter than the swatch.
Finding glass for a colour
Pick a colour or type its hex code, and the tool tries every stack of one to five glass blocks, keeping the closest beam for each height. Closeness is measured as the difference people actually see, not raw numbers. Tap Use this to put a stack on the beam above. Some colours, like strong greens and bright oranges, cannot be matched closely, because averaging dye colours pulls everything toward the middle.
Java and Bedrock
Checked against Java Edition 26.3. The pyramid, the tiers, the effects and the way glass mixes are the same in Bedrock Edition, which also takes hardened glass when Education features are on. The reach and how long effects last are worked out from Java Edition; Bedrock's are close, but a spot right on the border of the range is worth testing there.
Questions
How many iron blocks does a full beacon need?
164 blocks, which is 1,476 iron ingots: 81 for the bottom layer, 49, 25 and 9 for the ones above. Two stacks and 36 blocks.
Does a diamond or netherite pyramid do anything more?
No. Every material gives the same range and effects; only the cost and the look change.
Can I build the pyramid from different blocks?
Yes. Any mix of the five works, even within one layer. Use Mixed to plan a pyramid with a different block on each layer.
How do I make a beacon?
Three obsidian, five glass and a nether star, which drops from the Wither. The beacon needs a clear view of the sky: only transparent blocks such as glass can sit above it.
Does the address keep my glass?
Yes. The tier, the blocks, the glass and the colour to match are all in the page's address, so Copy link shares exactly what you see. Nothing is stored and nothing is sent anywhere.