PSA 10 gem rate is the PSA 10 population divided by the total PSA-graded population for the mapped card. RareAlert's Low Gem Rate view requires at least 100 PSA-graded copies and surfaces qualifying holo cards at a PSA 10 gem rate of 20% or less.
How RareAlert calculates PSA 10 gem rate
The displayed gem rate compares the PSA 10 population with the total PSA population for the mapped card. In simple terms, it asks what percentage of the recorded PSA-graded copies are PSA 10s.
PSA 10 gem rate = PSA 10 population ÷ total PSA population × 100
Example: 50 PSA 10s ÷ 1,000 total PSA-graded copies = 5% gem rateRareAlert requires at least 100 PSA-graded copies for the Low Gem Rate view and focuses on qualifying holo cards at 20% PSA 10 gem rate or less. The minimum population helps prevent extremely small samples from dominating the discovery results.
Why a low gem rate can be interesting
A low PSA 10 percentage can point to a card whose top grade is uncommon relative to the number of copies that have been graded. It does not tell you the cause by itself, but it creates a useful starting point for investigating printing quality, condition sensitivity, age, handling, and other card-specific factors.
Gem rate is not the same thing as PSA 10 population
A card with a low gem rate can still have a large absolute number of PSA 10 copies if its total graded population is very large. Likewise, a card with only a few PSA 10s may have a high gem rate if very few copies have been graded.
Use Low Pop Gems when you specifically want to discover qualifying cards with 100 or fewer PSA 10 copies.
Read the underlying grade table
RareAlert keeps the PSA, CGC, and BGS grade counts visible with the card so the gem-rate percentage is not shown in isolation. You can inspect the card's grade distribution and identity details before drawing your own conclusions.
How to compare two cards with different gem rates
Compare both the percentage and the sample behind it. A 5% gem rate from 5,000 PSA-graded copies represents a very different population history from a 5% gem rate from 100 copies. The exact card printing, age, and surrounding grade distribution should stay part of the comparison.
Open the live Low Gem Rate results
Explore the current Low Gem Rate cards in RareAlert Intelligence.
The historical population distribution does not tell you the probability that a particular raw card will receive a PSA 10. Submission behavior, card selection, grading standards, and the underlying condition of submitted copies can all affect the observed population.
For more context, read about PSA population reports or the broader Pokémon card population report tools.