Diamonds, Wax, Rosin, Sugar…What’s the Difference?

Walk up to a concentrate counter and you will see a dozen names for what is, chemically, one family of products. Here is what each label means, how they differ, and which one fits the way you consume.

Wax, badder, crumble and shatter

All four are solvent-based extracts; the difference is what happens after the solvent is purged. Wax is soft and sticky. Crumble is drier and breaks apart in pieces. Badder (or budder) is whipped during purging into a cake-frosting texture that is easy to scoop. Shatter is left to cool undisturbed into a thin, glass-like sheet that snaps. Any of them can be dabbed or crumbled onto a bowl or into a joint.

Sugar and sauce

Sugar is a grainy, wet-looking texture that forms as THCA slowly crystallizes out of a terpene-rich extract. Sauce is the liquid, terpene-heavy portion, often with crystals suspended in it. Both are most often made from fresh-frozen plants, which is why you will usually see them labeled “live resin sugar” or “live resin sauce.” Our guide to what live resin is explains that process.

Diamonds

THC diamonds are crystals of nearly pure THCA that form when a solvent extract is left to crystallize. They are usually sold sitting in terpene sauce (“diamonds and sauce”) and carry the highest THC numbers on the menu. Melted and blended back with sauce, they become “liquid diamonds,” which are common in vape carts; see live resin vs. distillate vape carts.

Hash and kief

Hash is one of the oldest concentrates: trichomes collected from the plant by dry sifting or by washing in ice water, then pressed together. Kief is the loose, unpressed powder that collects in the bottom of a grinder. Both are solventless. More in Kief vs. Hash.

Rosin and live rosin

Rosin is a solventless concentrate made by pressing flower or hash between heated plates. Live rosin is pressed from hash made with fresh-frozen plants, so it keeps more terpenes and usually costs the most. Because no solvent is used, New York does not require a residual-solvent test on it; it is still tested for potency, heavy metals, microbials and pesticides. The full head-to-head on process, strength and price is in Live Rosin vs. Live Resin.

Concentrates compared at a glance

Concentrate	Solvent used?	Texture	Known for
Wax / badder	Yes	Soft, scoopable	Easy everyday dabs
Crumble	Yes	Dry, breaks apart	Topping a bowl or joint
Shatter	Yes	Brittle, glass-like	Stable and easy to portion
Sugar / sauce	Yes	Grainy or runny	Big terpene flavor
Diamonds	Yes	Crystals in sauce	Highest THC on the label
Hash / kief	No	Pressed or powder	Traditional, solventless
Rosin / live rosin	No	Sticky, jam or badder	Solventless, plant-true flavor

Which concentrate should a beginner try?

Concentrates are much stronger than flower. If you are new to them, a vape cart is the simplest place to start, since it needs no rig and is easy to take in small amounts. If you want to dab, start with a very small amount and wait before having more. Ask a budtender which products are fresh this week; every product at a licensed New York dispensary is lab-tested, with the COA linked to the QR code on the label (here is how to read it).

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RocklandIndicaMagic Garden Botanicals (Micro)Magic Garden Botanicals - Malibu Mirage - E-Jay Cured Hash Resin Disposable Vape - 1g62.5% THC$79.99White PlainsSativaJeeterJeeter - Juneberry - Liquid Diamonds Disposable Vape - 2g91.3% THC$83.99NewQueensIndicaWizard TreesWizard Trees - Wizard OG - Live Resin Disposable Vape - 1g74.4% THC$57.49RocklandHybridSpacebudsSpacebuds - Moonstone Vape - Pineapple Upsidedown Cake - 1g80.2% THC$63.99White PlainsIndicaJeeterJeeter - Berry White - Liquid Diamonds Disposable Vape - 2g91.2% THC$83.99NewQueensSativaWizard TreesWizard Trees - New Yorker - Live Resin Disposable Vape - 1g77.7% THC$57.49RocklandIndicaTerpXTerpX - Granddaddy Purple - Vape Cartridge - 1g82.7% THC$31.49White PlainsIndicaJeeterJeeter - Blueberry Kush - Liquid Diamonds Disposable Vape - 2g92.3% THC$83.99

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Frequently asked questions

What are cannabis diamonds?

Crystals of nearly pure THCA that form as a solvent extract crystallizes. They are usually sold in terpene sauce and carry the highest THC numbers on the menu.

What is wax cannabis concentrate?

A soft, sticky solvent-based extract. Crumble, badder and shatter are close relatives that differ only in texture.

What is live rosin?

A solventless concentrate pressed with heat from hash made with fresh-frozen plants. It keeps more terpenes than most extracts and usually costs the most.

What is sugar wax?

A grainy, wet-looking concentrate that forms as THCA crystallizes out of a terpene-rich extract, usually made from fresh-frozen plants.

Which concentrate is strongest?

THC diamonds usually show the highest THC on the label because they are nearly pure THCA crystals.

What is the difference between rosin and resin?

Rosin is solventless, made with heat and pressure; resin is extracted with a hydrocarbon solvent that is then purged. See our full live rosin vs. live resin guide for process, potency, price and NY lab testing.

What is the best cannabis concentrate for beginners?

Most beginners do better starting with a vape cart than with a dab, because carts need no rig and are easier to take in small amounts. Concentrates are much stronger than flower, so start small.

For adults 21+ only. This content is for general information and is not medical advice. Cannabis products have not been evaluated by the FDA. Please consume responsibly and keep out of reach of children and pets.