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Minecraft Ore Distribution

Ore is one of the most important resources in Minecraft. Just like wood, it is one of the basic resources the game gives us. But we all know how hard it can be to find it. That’s because ore isn’t distributed evenly in the world. Some types of ore are harder to find in the deep, while others are very common on the same area. In this article, we show where you can harvest ore easily and what you can do with it. So take your favorite tool and let’s go down into the ground!

The Minecraft Ore Levels

Before we do a deep dive into the Minecraft ore spawn levels, we should explain some of the words we’re going to use. 

The values in the table are the altitude. That is the number of blocks above the lowest bedrock. So, if the altitude is 10, the ore is 10 blocks above that bedrock and an altitude of -10 means the ore is 10 blocks below.

The pickaxe level is the lowest pickaxe you need to mine the ore. Of course, any better pickaxe also does the job. If you try to mine the ore with any lower level pickaxe, you will loose the that ore. For example, trying to mine diamonds with a wooden pickaxe just destroys the block.

The highest spawn chance shows at what altitude the ore spawns the most. The total spawn range shows the lowest and the highest level the ore can spawn at. For example, the diamond spawn level ranges from -64 to 16, but it is easier to find at level -59. That value is different for every ore in Minecraft. Best levels to mine are, thus, also different. 

Ores also have a range of levels in which they cannot spawn. The „Does not spawn at“ row shows you where you will never find the ore.

Some ores can only be found in certain biomes. If that is the case, we show you where the ore can spawn.

Be aware that these numbers apply to the Minecraft versions 1.18 onward. If you played with version 1.17 or earlier, some of these distributions may seem a bit off.

And with that, let’s jump into our table:

The complete Minecraft Ore Table

BlockTotal Spawn Range Highest Spawn Chance Does not spawn at Pickaxe Level BiomeRarity
Coal0 – 2560 – 192 -64 – -1 Wood AnyExtremely Common
Copper-16 – 112 48-64 – -17, 113 – 320 StoneAny, Dripstone Caves have larger chunksCommon, Extremely Common in Dripstone Common
Lapis Lazuli-64 – 64 065 – 320 StoneAnyRare
Iron-64 – 320 80 – 232
(in Mountains)
-24 – 56 (non-Mountain Biomes) 		0 – 80StoneAnyCommon
Gold-64 – 112 4833 – 320, 257 – 320 in BadlandsIronAny, Badlands have an increased chance to spawn it Very Rare, Rare in Badlands
Redstone-64 – 8 -64 – -5010 – 320 IronAnyRare
Diamond-64 – 10 -64 11 – 320 IronAnyVery Rare
Emerald-16 – 320 224 – 256-64 – -17IronMountains and Windswept Hills Rare
Nether Quartz10 – 127 10 – 20,
105 – 116		118 or above WoodNether Extremely Common
Nether Gold6 – 118 9 – 21119 or above WoodNether Common
Ancient Debris 12 – 119 14 – 16120 aboveDiamondNether Extremly Rare

Tip: Smooth stone is not a type of ore, but getting it takes a similar process.

What to do with the Ore

Once you have the ore of your choice, you might wonder what you can do with it. First of all, getting a block of ore is actually not that easy. If you mine an ore block, you will normally destroy it and only get the resource it holds. So, mining a block of lapis lazuli does not give you a block of lapis lazuli ore but the lapis lazuli itself. If you want to get a genuine block of ore, you need to enchant your pickaxe with the silk touch enchantment.

Of course, you can use the ore blocks for building a house or a hideout. If you still want to get the resource hidden within the ore, you need to smelt the ore. Simply combine any ore with any fuel source and there you go. If the ore is gold, copper or iron ore, you will get a nice ingot instead. However, this method is actually less effective than simply mining the ore block. When smelting the ore, you will only get one piece of the resource, while mining an ore block gives you two or more. 

Once you have the resource, you can use it for basically anything you want. Armor, swords and pickaxes all require ore to make better. So if you find a block of ore, don’t hesitate to mine it for that sweet resource inside!

Conclusion about Minecraft Ore Levels

Getting ore of any kind is only the first step on your journey through Minecraft. Making better gear, gaining XP and exploring are all connected to finding ore in Minecraft. But to get ore with you friends, you should use the Minecraft server from G-Portal. Come together and mine to your heart’s content!

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