Before the release ofMinecraft's update 1.18, Y-level 12 was the absolute best place for players to mine ores. However, that is no longer the case as Caves and Cliffs Part 2 has completely changed the ore distributionMinecraft. For those fans trying to figure out where to look for the materials they need now, details on the new ore distribution can be found in this guide.
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Updated on July 16, 2022 by Anastasia Maillot:After the publication of theWild update or the 1.19 update for Minecraft, the distribution of ores hasn't changed dramatically in-game, even with the addition of the Deep Dark biome and Deep Dark Cities. That said, these biomes and their stealth sensors have made mining a far more risky task, especially when players venture extremely deep into the new depths of Minecraft's revamped caves. This guide has been updated with more information about each ore, especially for Minecraft beginners who may be wondering whether or not a certain type of ore is worth their time. Here ishow the ores were distributed in Minecraft after update 1.18, and how they will continue to be distributed after the 1.19 update.
to speak generally,Minecraft 1.18Saw Ores take on a triangular distribution pattern, with their spawn rates increasing and decreasing as players move up and down the Y levels. This means that the center of an ore's range is usually the best place to look for that particular ore, as that's where the spawn rate is highest.Since the release ofMinecraft1.19 this distribution of ores has not changed.
The graphic below shows exactly how this manifests in game, and there are more details on each individual ore below.
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Money
Coal has a very large distribution area,starting at y-level 256 and ending at y-level 0. Coalspawn in particular is affected by air exposure below Y=136, meaning caves at these lower levels are not good sources of this ore. Mountain biomes are perfect for collecting giant chunks of coal as they can easily spawn outdoors. The new ore distribution has also made chunks of ore larger, and mining coal is where this change is most noticeable.
Coal is the main fuel for blast furnacesMinecraft, and is used to craft Torches. It is among the most important resources that players should focus on during their first few days of survival, if possibleplayer to cook food, smelted other ores and crafted torches to light up dark areas and repel enemy mobs. It can be replaced with charcoal, which is more expensive to produce by smelting logs.
copper
Copper can be found in all biomes in Y levels 112 to -16, although its spawn rate in stalactite caves is significantly increased. Regardless of where a player choosesto look for copper, Y=48is the level they should aim for. Copper must be smelted after mining to create Copper Ingots, which can then be used to craft various items.
Copper is more of a niche item in the game. It's not a necessary resource yet, but can be used to craft copper blocks, which will eventually oxidize and change color over time unless players use combwax on it. Copper can also be used to craft binoculars, which is probably the best utility it offers as it allows players to zoom in without using OptiFine. After all, it can be used to make a lightning rod, for example, to protect houses from lightning strikes.
Diamond
Diamant in Minecraft 1.18appears in betweenY level 16 and -64, with Y level -58 serving as the best farming spot. Diamonds are the most sought after resource in OverworldMinecraft, and players must craft a bunch of diamond gear before they can hope to transform their weapons, tools, and armor into the most powerful Netherite gear.
Diamonds act like iron and gold. They can be used to craft diamond quality tools, weapons, and armor, which are extremely strong and offer a lot of protection, damage, and utility. Diamonds are still extremely rare, but if players find them, they should mine them using a pickaxe with a Fortune III or at least Fortune II enchantment to increase the number of diamonds they get from a block.
Emerald
Minecraft playerthose looking for emeralds must stick to the mountain biomes,with Y levels around 232act as the most consistent sources. Emeralds are probably the rarest ore in the overworld, as they don't typically spawn in larger chunks like diamonds.
Emeralds are the currency ofMinecraft. players canUse them to trade with villagers in any village, as long as the villager in question has a job. It's also possible to trade emeralds with villagers, but those who live in mountain biomes should try to find as many as possible and mine them with an enchanted Fortune III or at least Fortune II pickaxe for maximum gains.
Gold
Gold can spawnY level 256 down to Y level -64, although there are some important details to note. More precisely, gold can only appear in betweenY planes 256 and 32 inchesMinecraft's Badlands biomeand only if there is a landmass that can support it there. If a player is looking for gold in a non-Badlands biome, then they should be doing itStick to Y levels 32 through -64, where -16 is the best option.
Gold is not a very important resource. It can be used to craft armor, tools, and weapons, but these are generally very weak and have low durability. Gold is perfect thoughfor trading Piglins in the Nether. Overall, the Nether is also a great alternate location for players looking to mine a ton of gold nuggets, nine of which can be processed into a gold bar.
Eisen
Like gold, iron can appear at any altitude as long as there is a landmass that can support it. For players looking for iron in the mountains,Y level 232 is the best optionwhile fans are lookingdeep below should draw your attention to Y=16.
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Along with wood and coal, iron is the most important resource in the game. Most players will tinkera full set of iron armor, tools, and weapons at some point in the game when they begin their hunt for Diamond tier gear. Iron is used in a large number of crafting recipes and has received a slight visual overhaul. Pig iron now looks different than the iron ore block that previously dropped, causing players who are only now returningMinecraftmight be surprised when the ore is mined.
Lapislazuli
Lapislazuli spawntbetween Y-planes 64 and -64but not that often. Players can slightly increase their chances of finding this oreConcentration on Y = 0, but only if they strip mine for it. Luckily, a single block of ore will usually drop multiple lapis lazuli at once, and this amount increases if players have Fortune III or Fortune II enchantments on their pickaxe.
Lapis Lazuli is primarily used to enchant items in Minecraft. This cost is so low that players can get away with not compulsively farming Lapis Lazuli. It can also be used to access blue dye in-game, but otherwise Lapis Lazuli remains an enchantment-only currency.
root Stein
Redstone has a distribution pattern similar to Diamond and appearsbetween Y levels 16 and -64. Again Y level -58This is where the ore spawns most often. Redstone can appear in rather large chunks,and with Fortune III and Fortune IIallows players to increase the amount of Redstone Dust they can extract from a single Redstone Ore Block.
Redstone's main function is to create circuitsMinecraft. Since there is no electricity in the game, Redstone takes on this role as the driving orewhich can be used to craft various mechanismsand redstone blocks.
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FAQs
Did 1.19 change ore distribution? ›
Minecraft's 1.19 update brings a variety of changes to the underground world of the game and that inevitably leads to a slight shuffling in the ores' location. Fortunately, their placement hasn't changed much since the previous 1.18 update, but it's hard to remember spawn height for all ores.
What is the rarest ore in Minecraft 1.19 overworld? ›Emeralds are probably the rarest ore in the Overworld, as they typically don't spawn in bigger chunks as Diamonds do. Emeralds are the currency of Minecraft.
What will 1.20 be in Minecraft? ›Minecraft 1.20 will introduce players to a brand new Cherry Blossom wood set and a new Bamboo wood type, along with the Hanging Signs and Chiselled Bookshelf blocks. Learn more about these new blocks below.
WHAT WILL 1.20 look like in Minecraft? ›As an unexpected Valentine's day gift, Mojang revealed that Minecraft 1.20 is getting a new “pink” biome in the form of Cherry Blossom. As you might expect, it is an overworld forest biome that features the iconic cherry blossom trees with their pink leaves. Moreover, the flowers in this biome are also pink.
What is the most useless ore? ›In mining, gangue (/ɡæŋ/) is the commercially worthless material that surrounds, or is closely mixed with, a wanted mineral in an ore deposit.
Is deepslate emerald rare? ›Deepslate emerald ore is the rarest ore in Minecraft, rarer than normal emerald ore and ancient debris.
What will 1.23 be in Minecraft? ›1.23: The Arsenal Update was a Minecraft update that added more weapons to fight with, along with some new mobs. It was significantly smaller than the last update, 1.22: The Multiverse Update, as that one added a massive amount of content, mostly dimensions and mobs.
What will the 1.25 Minecraft update be? ›Update Nautilus is a major Minecraft Update released on April 14, 2023. It was the second update focusing on the ocean, and is the sequel to Update Aquatic. It updates the Oceans, Marine Wildlife, Ocean Monuments, Beaches, Rivers, and Lakes.
Is Minecraft 1.21 out? ›1.21, also called the Horizons Update is a 2024 update first announced in Minecraft Festival 2023. The update was set to improve the sky's and horizons as well as adding new blocks, items, and biomes.
What will 1.24 be in Minecraft? ›Minecraft 1.24, also just known as The Update that Changed the World II, is a major update released on July 27, 2025. It adds weapon rarities to the game, completely revamps the forest and desert biomes, and also acts as a second Update Aquatic.
Is Minecraft 1. 20 confirmed? ›
Originally announced for the Minecraft 1.17 Caves & Cliffs update back in 2020, Archaeology ended up being postponed (opens in new tab) along with Bundles—which were also supposed to come with Minecraft 1.17. But now, Mojang has confirmed Archaeology is coming for 1.20.
Has Minecraft 1.20 been confirmed? ›Here you should know that Minecraft 1.20 update has been released not only in India but all over the world, gamers all over the world are eagerly waiting for Minecraft 1.20 update, many new features have been added in Minecraft 1.20 update.
Is ancient debris rarer than diamonds? ›Ancient debris is one of Minecraft's most valuable, useful, and rarest resources. Ancient Debris is a special block because it is very difficult to destroy, even we can't destroy it with explosions can't be burned by lava or fire and even it cannot be blown up. It is 12 times as rare as a diamond.
Is ancient debris rarer? ›Basically, ancient debris is extremely rare and uncommon, but does follow spawn trends like any other ore.
What ore is better than netherite? ›An ore better than Netherite! Enderore! it'll probably spawn rarely in End citys or End ships, (if this is added in) and could be made in a smithing table out of Netherite tools, It should probably last a bit longer than Netherite. and it could be made a beacon out of Enderore blocks.
How rare is a pink sheep? ›Pink sheep have a rare chance (0.164%) of spawning naturally. That means for every 1,000 sheep that spawn naturally, about 1 will be pink.
What is the rarest horse in Minecraft? ›While most can be commonly found in almost any biome, the skeleton horse is arguably the rarest type of horse in the game. It is an undead horse that has certain special abilities as opposed to normal ones. These mysterious magical creatures do not commonly spawn in the world.
What is the rarest axolotl in Minecraft? ›Which is the Rarest Variant of Axolotl in Minecraft? As many of you might expect, the rarest variant of Axolotl in Minecraft is the blue Axolotl. As per Minecraft Wiki, this variant has a spawn chance of just 1 in 1200 (0.083%), making it one of the rarest mobs in the game.
Why were rubies removed from Minecraft? ›Rubies were originally planned to be added as part of Minecraft Java Edition 1.3 as a currency for trading with villagers, but were abandoned at the last minute in favor of emeralds due to the developer "Dinnerbone" being red-green colorblind and therefore having a hard time spotting the difference between redstone ore ...
What biome is best for emeralds? ›Head over to a mountains biome.
This is the only biome where emeralds will be found. Mountain biomes are fairly common, so you won't have to go very far.
What is the hardest ore to find in Minecraft? ›
Yes, you guessed it (probably by reading the title) - it's diamond ore! The ultimate endgame resource, diamond ore is one of the most valuable and hard-to-locate blocks in Minecraft. It's found right at the bottom of the world, below Y-level 16, in veins of one to ten blocks that give experience when you mine them.
What are the changes in 1.19 Minecraft? ›This pre-release contains a new high contrast accessibility setting, some updates to the Create World tab visuals, a new execute subcommand, improvements to startup performance, and lots of bug fixes!
Did Minecraft change the ore texture? ›Previously, many ores had the exact same texture, just in different colours, which presented an accessibility issue for some players. Now, all ore – including gold, copper, coal, diamond, and redstone – will have a distinct shape to its texture, too.
Why did mojang change the ores? ›While it will be a nice, refreshing change for longtime fans of Minecraft (or perhaps an upsetting one for those who've grown fond of the classic look), the new ore textures will greatly help colorblind players identify ores while mining.
Are Minecraft ores changing? ›Every ore that was changed
Some of the most prominent ores in the game have seen a visual update in "Cliffs & Caves," including Redstone, Iron, Gold, and Coal.
Here you should know that Minecraft 1.20 update has been released not only in India but all over the world, gamers all over the world are eagerly waiting for Minecraft 1.20 update, many new features have been added in Minecraft 1.20 update.
Where do wardens go when they dig? ›The Warden can be found in Deep Dark Caves, which are easy to spot due to the abundance of the new block, Sculk.
What is the name of 1.20 Minecraft Update? ›The End Update is a major Minecraft Update released on August 6th, 2023. It completely overhauls and revamps The End Dimension and adds a massive amount of content.
What is the 2 rarest ore in Minecraft? ›- Lapis Lazuli ore (Image via Mojang)
- Gold ore (Image via Mojang)
- Diamond ore (Image via Mojang)
- Emerald ore (Image via Mojang)
- Ancient Debris (Image via Mojang)
Emerald ore is the most useless ore in Minecraft. The only thing it has going for it is its rarity. So, pick it up with a silk touch pick. You can get many more emeralds via villager trading than you will ever get from emerald ore.
What is the hardest ore to get in Minecraft? ›
Yes, you guessed it (probably by reading the title) - it's diamond ore! The ultimate endgame resource, diamond ore is one of the most valuable and hard-to-locate blocks in Minecraft. It's found right at the bottom of the world, below Y-level 16, in veins of one to ten blocks that give experience when you mine them.
How rare is Deepslate coal? ›This is why deepslate coal ore is extremely rare. After Minecraft 1.18 update, coal ore generates between Y 256 and 0. As players can see, coal barely touches the deepslate region. Deepslate coal ore only generates when deepslate blocks touch coal ore blocks near Y 0.
Is ore a man made? ›Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit. Ore is extracted from the earth through mining and treated or refined, often via smelting, to extract the valuable metals or minerals.
Did Mojang remove earth? ›Minecraft Earth, a free-to-play augmented reality game, is shutting down only two years after the launch. The support for the game will end in June 2021. Minecraft Earth is one of the few Minecraft spin-offs developed by Mojang. On June 30, Mojang will discontinue all content and service support for the AR game.
Can we run out of ores? ›Metal ores are regarded as non-renewable resources as they can take thousands, if not millions of years to replenish depending on type. This does not, however, mean that we are at risk of depleting the Earth's metal resources.
What is the rarest ore? ›Painite : Not just the rarest gemstone, but also the rarest mineral on earth, Painite holds the Guinness World Record for it.
Who is the rarest ore in Minecraft? ›Emerald Ore is the rarest ore to date in Minecraft (25 times more so than Diamond Ore, while almost always spawning in only one-block veins). When mined (with an Iron Pickaxe or higher), it drops an Emerald; the only implemented use of Emeralds to date is for trading with Villagers.