Minecraft 1.19 Ore Distribution (2023)

Prior to the release of Minecraft’s 1.18 update, Y-level 12 was the absolute best place for players to mine for ores. That is no longer the case, though, as Caves and Cliffs Part 2 has completely altered ore distributions in Minecraft.

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For those fans that are trying to determine where they should now look for the materials that they need, details on the new ore distribution can be found in this guide.

Updated on January 6th, 2023 by Hodey Johns: Although the distribution of the ores has not fundamentally changed since this guide was released, the information was spread out across multiple sections with long details about what each ore did and why it was important. While that is good information, readers deserved to have an easy-to-access table of where to find each or on a single page. The first section is now an overall guide that lists the ranges and the best level for harvesting each one. The following sections give a few more specifics about the overall ores for readers that are still wanting to know more details about the minerals themselves.

Minecraft 1.19 Ore Distribution

To speak generally, Minecraft 1.18 saw ores assume a triangular distribution pattern, with their spawn rates increasing and decreasing as players move up and down the Y-levels. This means that the midpoint of an ore’s distribution range is typically the best place to search for that particular ore, as it is where the spawn rate is the highest.

Since the release of Minecraft 1.19, this distribution of ores hasn't changed but the community's understanding of them has been pinpointed.

Coal

Coal has a very large distribution range, starting at Y-level 0 and ending at Y-level 256. Notably, coal spawns are affected by exposure to air below Y=136, which means that caves will not be good sources for this ore in those lower levels. Mountain biomes are perfect for gathering huge chunks of coal, as they can spawn easily in the open. Look out for cool animals to tame while up in the mountains coal farming.

Coal is the primary fuel for furnaces in Minecraft, and is used to craft torches. It's among the most important resources players should focus on getting during their first days in survival, as it allows players to cook food, smelt other ores and make torches to light up dark areas to ward away hostile mobs. It can be substituted with Charcoal, which is more expensive to make by smelting wooden logs.

Copper

Copper can appear in Y-levels -16 through 112 in all biomes, though its spawn rate is significantly increased in dripstone caves. Regardless of where a player opts to search for Copper, Y=48 is the level that they should target. Copper needs to be smelted after it's mined to make Copper bars, which can then be used to craft various objects.

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Copper is a bit more of a niche item in the game. It's not a necessary resource as of yet, but can be used to make Copper blocks which will eventually oxidize and change color with time unless players use wax on them from honeycombs. Copper can also be used to make a spyglass, which is probably the best utility it provides since it lets players zoom in without the use of OptiFine. Finally, it can be used to make a lightning rod to protect houses from lightning strikes, for instance.

Diamond

Diamond in Minecraft 1.19 appears between Y-levels -64 and 16, with Y-level -64 serving as the best place to farm it. Diamonds are the most wanted resource in Overworld Minecraft, and players will need to craft a bunch of Diamond gear before they can hope to upgrade their weapons, tools, and armor into the most powerful Netherite gear. Those who want to beat the Ender Dragon should farm up a good amount first.

Diamonds work like iron and gold. They can be used to craft tools, weapons, and armor of Diamond grade, which are extremely strong and provide a lot of protection, damage, and utility. Diamonds remain exceedingly rare, but when players do 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 receive from one block.

Emerald

Minecraft players that are hunting for Emeralds will need to stick to the mountain biomes, with Y-levels around 224 acting as the most consistent sources. 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. Players can use them to trade with villagers found in any village, so long as the villager in question has a job. It's also possible to trade for Emeralds with villagers, but those who live in mountain biomes should try to find as many as they can and mine them with a Fortune III or at least Fortune II enchanted pickaxe for maximum gains.

Gold

Gold can spawn from Y-level -64 all the way up to Y-level 32, though there are some important details to note. More specifically, Gold can only appear between Y-levels 256 and 32 in Minecraft’s badlands biome and only if there is a land mass that can support it there. If a player is looking for Gold in a non-badlands biome, then they should stick to Y-levels 32 through -64, with -16 being the best option.

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Gold isn't an all too important resource. It can be used to make armor, tools, and weapons, but these are generally very weak and have low durability (make sure it doesn't have the Curse of Binding before putting Gold gear on). Gold is perfect, however, for trading with 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 crafted into a Gold ingot.

Iron

For players that will be looking for Iron in the mountains, Y-level 232 is the best option, while fans that are searching down low should turn their attention to Y=16.

Iron is the most important resource in the game along with wood and coal. Most players will craft a full set of Iron armor, tools, and weapons at some point in the game as they begin their hunt for Diamond-tier gear. Iron is used in a large number of crafting recipes, and received a slight revamp in appearance. Veteran players might challenge themselves to not use it, but most standard gamers will rely on it heavily.

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli spawns between Y-levels 64 and -64 but not with a great deal of frequency. Players can slightly increase their chances of finding this ore by focusing on Y=0, though only if they strip mine for it. Appearing at ground level, those who build an ice boat track will be pretty close to its perfect spawn level. Luckily, a single ore block typically drops several Lapis Lazuli at once.

Lapis Lazuli is mainly used to enchant items in Minecraft. This cost is so small that players can get away with not obsessively farming Lapis Lazuli. It can also be used to access blue dye in the game, but other than that, Lapis Lazuli remains purely an enchantment currency.

Redstone

Redstone appears between Y-levels -32 and -32. Y-level -64 is where the ore spawns most frequently. Redstone can appear in fairly large chunks, and with Fortune III and Fortune II, players can increase the amount of Redstone Dust they can extract from a single Redstone ore block.

Redstone's primary function is to create circuitry in Minecraft. Since there's no electricity in the game, Redstone takes that role as a powering ore that can be used to craft various mechanisms and Redstone blocks. Building extensive tracks with it takes incredible resource management for a video game, but the payoff is always worth the patience.

Minecraft is available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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