2025-26 Upper Deck Black Diamond Hockey – Let the Gem Hunt Begin!

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The puck drops on another season of high-end hockey collecting with the return of Upper Deck Black Diamond Hockey, and this year marks its 27th run. That’s right — this set’s roots go all the way back to the ‘90s, and it still knows how to shine. Literally. If you like cracking packs that sparkle, this is your playground.

Each hobby box serves up six cards, including at least one autograph or diamond relic, a trio of inserts, memorabilia, or tech cards, a card from the Exquisite Collection, and either a base card or a parallel.

The Checklist (and That Sweet, Sweet Base Set)

The base set this year sticks to the tradition of being numbered to /349, but the checklist only runs 95 cards deep — making it the smallest since 2020-21. It's a mix of stars, legends, and fresh-faced rookies.

Parallels? You bet. Keep your eyes peeled for Green (/10) and Gold (1/1) versions, but the real eye candy is in the Diamond Relic parallels. We’re talking cards with actual diamonds in them — up to four per card in the Clear Diamond (/5) tier, and the ultra-rare 1/1 Black Diamond editions will absolutely turn heads.

Some base cards even go the extra mile with Premium Relic or Autograph versions.

Rookie Cards & Gemstone Greatness

One of the most exciting chases in hockey cards every year? Diamond Relic Rookies. These gems (pun intended) are limited to /99 and feature — you guessed it — actual diamonds embedded right into the card. The fancier versions include Emerald (/10) and Pure Black (1/1) parallels.

Also returning:

Band of Color: A rainbow lineup of gem colors, numbered to /25 for vets and /26 for rookies, with a 1/1 Pure Black for that extra sparkle.
Gemography: Autographs with embedded diamonds, limited to /25. Want more bling? Look for Emerald (/5) and Pure Black (1/1) versions.
Diamond Stars, Diamond Legends, and Diamond Futures: These triple-threat insert sets are all /10, and yep — each has its own 1/1 Pure Black parallel.

Autos, Relics, and Eye-Catching Memorabilia

There’s no shortage of hits in this year’s set. Here’s what collectors will be digging for:

Autographs:

Rookie Gems Signatures
Sparkling Scripts (1:8 packs)
Sparkling Rookie Scripts (1:12)
Signature Clarity (1:40)

Memorabilia Cards:

Diamond Mine Relics (1:4 packs) — also available in Dual (1:10) and Triple (1:20) versions, with Premium parallels.
Diamond Debut Relics (1:4 packs)
Manufactured Hockey History Patches (1:12 packs)
Rookie Team Logo Jumbo Patches (1:3 packs) and Team Logo Jumbo Patches (1:15 packs)

Black Diamond is also rolling out Auto Rookie Team Logo Jumbo Patches and Jewels of the Draft, because who doesn't want autographed memorabilia with a bit of flash?

New this year: Captains Patches (/99) — manufactured patch cards celebrating team captains, with an autographed version to chase too.

Inserts, Inserts, Inserts

If you love themed inserts, this product delivers in spades — or, uh, diamonds.

Rookie Gems (/399) are back with Red (/100) and Green (/10) parallels.
Diamond Facet and Diamond Gallery show up once every 10 packs.
Diamond Stars, Legends, and Futures also make an appearance, each /249.

Plus, three more themed inserts — Diamonation, Diamond Might, and Rookie Diamond Cutters — all numbered to /99, add even more variety to the rip.

A Taste of Exquisite

Though Exquisite Collection doesn’t hold the standalone power it once did, Black Diamond gives it a platform. As usual, the Exquisite inserts kick off here and span several Upper Deck releases throughout the year.

This time, you’ll find:

Exquisite Veterans and Rookies (/399) with Gold (/99) and Gold Spectrum (/25) parallels
Rookie Day Draft (/349) — with parallels numbered to draft position
Stanley Cup Heroes (/299) — new set with Gold, Silver Spectrum, and Gold Spectrum variations
Moments (/99) — iconic memories, with fancy parallels down to /25

The memorabilia side of Exquisite isn’t slacking either:

Extra Exquisite Jersey Rookies (/349)
Rookie Patches (/99)
Dual Swatch Rookies (/75)
Rookie Jumbo Materials (/10)
Jersey Vets/Legends and Veteran Materials (with various numbering)
And yes — NHL Shields, jumbo patches, and 1/1 Gold Spectrum cards are in the mix too.