Green Gem Tea's own standard uses visible down (pekoe) as the specific feature distinguishing it from Gunpowder Tea's similar rolled-granule shape — not the granule shape itself.
Green Gem Tea (绿宝石绿茶) is a Guizhou green tea whose own provincial standard, DB52/T 997-2018, makes an explicit comparison worth repeating precisely: the finished tea is described as similar in granule form to Gunpowder Tea, but distinguished specifically by visible down (pekoe) on the leaf, which Gunpowder Tea’s standard doesn’t describe.
That comparison matters because rolled, granular shapes show up across several unrelated Chinese green teas — shape alone doesn’t identify a specific tea. Origin (Guizhou specifically) and the down detail are what the standard actually uses to define this one.
Worth being precise about the standard itself: DB52/T 997-2018 is a Guizhou provincial standard (the “DB” prefix), one tier below a national GB/T standard — a real, dedicated standard, just not a national one. It sets three grades (珍品, 特级, 一级) and physicochemical limits including a notably high water-extract minimum of 40.0% and a moisture ceiling of 6.5%.
The source material used for this page doesn’t document aroma, taste or liquor descriptors by grade the way it does for most other teas on this site — what’s shown here reflects the general character of pan-fired Chinese green tea rather than a Green-Gem-Tea-specific figure from the standard.
See the Green Tea guide for where Green Gem Tea sits among China’s other green teas, and Gunpowder Tea for the similarly-shaped tea its own standard explicitly distinguishes it from.
Look · Dry leaf
The standard describes the finished shape as coiled-flower-shaped granules (盘花状颗粒), with visible down noted as the specific feature distinguishing it from Gunpowder Tea's similar granule form.
Smell & taste
Typical aroma: grassy. Flavor tendencies: brisk. Body: medium. These vary by batch, storage and brewing.
Brew · A starting point
Try 3 g in 150 ml water at 85–90°C for 60–90 seconds. Fully decant before tasting.
Read the wet leaves
Not documented in the source material reviewed for this page beyond the general pan-fired green tea process it shares with other granular-style Chinese green teas.
Sources & review
Compiled by ChinaTea101's editors from Chinese national and industry tea standards and reference material, then fact-checked. Last reviewed 2026-09-25. How we check claims
- Standard DB52/T 997-2018 绿宝石 绿茶 (Green Gem green tea (Guizhou provincial standard)) — National Public Service Platform for Standards Information (SAMR). Current standard; status checked on the national standards platform. View source ↗