Minecraft

1.18 Ore Distribution and Comparison

mc - 1.18 Ore Distribution.png
The 1.18: Caves and Cliffs Update has introduced large changes in Ore Distribution in Minecraft's Overworld. Read on to learn the new Ore Distributions in Minecraft 1.18, how they compare to previous versions, as well as the best y-levels to mine ores like iron, gold, and diamond!

Update 1.18 Ore Distribution

Ore Highest Y Level Generated Lowest Y Level Generated
Minecraft - Coal OreCoal Ore 320 0
Minecraft - Copper OreCopper Ore 112 -16
Minecraft - IronOreIron Ore 320 -63
Minecraft - Gold OreGold Ore 32 -63
Minecraft - Lapis Lazuli OreLapis Lazuli Ore 64 -63
Minecraft - Redstone OreRedstone Ore 15 -63
Minecraft - Diamond OreDiamond Ore 14 -63
Minecraft - Emerald OreEmerald Ore * 320 -16

*Emerald Ore may only be found in Mountain Biomes.

Ore Distribution in 1.17 and Older

Ore Highest Y Level Generated Lowest Y Level Generated
Coal Ore 128 0
Copper Ore 96 0
Iron Ore 63 0
Gold Ore 79 32
Lapis Lazuli Ore 31 0
Redstone Ore 15 0
Diamond Ore 15 0
Emerald Ore * 32 3

*Emerald Ore may only be found in Mountain Biomes.


Source:
Minecraft Developer Henrik Kniberg's Tweet

Best Y Levels for Strip Mining in 1.18

If you're looking for a specific ore to mine, such as iron, gold, or diamond, you would want to consider Strip Mining (or Branch Mining) on the level where they are most frequently found.

You can check your coordinates by pressing F3 (for the Java Edition) or typing /gamerule showcoordinates true (for the Bedrock Edition).

Ore Best Y Levels for Strip Mining
Minecraft - Coal OreCoal Ore 96
256 to 140
Minecraft - Copper OreCopper Ore 48
Minecraft - IronOreIron Ore 16
232
Minecraft - Gold OreGold Ore -16*
Minecraft - Lapis Lazuli OreLapis Lazuli Ore 0
Minecraft - Redstone OreRedstone Ore -54 to -59
Minecraft - Diamond OreDiamond Ore -54 to -59
Minecraft - Emerald OreEmerald Ore * 232

*Gold Ore appears more frequently between y-levels 256 and 32 in Badlands.

How to Strip Mine Efficiently

MC - Exposed Diamond.png

Strip Mining, also sometimes known as Branch Mining, is a mining technique that aims to expose as many blocks as possible in a short amount of time, with the least amount of actual mining. Effective Strip Mining can be used to easily acquire valuable ores such as Diamonds.

Best Way to Mine Diamonds

Set up an Underground Base

MC - Underground Base.png

After digging down to the desired y-level, it can be a good idea to prepare an underground base. Setting up several Chests will allow you to organize your inventory better as you dig out large amounts of blocks and ores.

Setting up Furnaces Lets You Smelt Iron While You Mine

In addition to preparing an area for chests, it can also be a good idea to set up furnaces. This will give you a chance to smelt iron ores into iron ingots while you are strip mining!

Dig 2x1 Strips 3 Blocks Apart

MC - Strip Mine Top View.png

After creating an underground base, we recommend mining 2x1 strips, three blocks apart. This allows you to create passageways where you can see most surrounding blocks within the strip.

The strips when viewed from above should look like this

While mining the strips three blocks apart will make you miss a section, the difference between mining two blocks apart does not offer a large difference between the yield.

Enchanted Tools Improve Efficiency

Enchantment Effect
Fortune Increases the amount of Ore yielded from each ore mined.
Unbreaking Effectively increases durability of your tools.
Efficiency Lets you mine faster.
Mending Allows tools to be repaired by EXP.

Use Enchantmented Tools When Possible

Enchanted Tools will greatly improve your mining experience. We recommend having Unbreaking/Efficiency Pickaxes to mine most of the stone in the way, while using Fortune Pickaxes to mine out ores for maximum yield!

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