It’s time to apply enchantments to your pickaxe in Minecraft and start mining away. 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 and their distribution. Fortunately, their placement hasn’t changed much since the 1.18 update, but it’s hard to remember spawn height for all ores. So, in this guide, we have gone over all the ore distribution heights, biome-based implications, and everything you should know in Minecraft 1.20. Though, thanks to the presence of Warden in some resource-filled areas, you will need to carry a few additional weapons while mining. With that said, let’s not waste another moment and dive in.
With the recent updates, the terrain generation and the biomes in Minecraft have gone through huge changes. Because of that, Minecraft ore distribution has also changed in many ways. So, we’re here to cover the locations, heights, and tips to find every ore in Minecraft 1.20. You can use the table above to explore each of them at your convenience.
What Is Ore Distribution in Minecraft?
The world of Minecraft is divided into chunks, where each chunk is a set of 16 blocks on all directional axis. When the game renders the world, it is rendered one chunk at a time, and each chunk has its own ore generation system. This remains true for both Minecraft Java and Bedrock editions of the game. And the generation of ores across each of these chunks is known as ore distribution in Minecraft.
Though, more than chunks, the ore distribution is affected by the world heights. As of Minecraft 1.19, the world height reaches 320 blocks, and the bottommost point is at -64 blocks. So, if you know the preferable height for each ore, you can expect to find them within most chunks of the game at those particular world heights. However, in some cases, the biomes also play a role in ore generation. But more on that later.
Where Do Ores Generate in Minecraft 1.20 and Later
With the basics out of the way, it’s time to address the big elephant in the room. We are going to cover each ore’s generation rules and the factors that affect them individually. Thanks to the developer’s notes and our testing, we have confirmed the heights to locate every ore in Minecraft. It hasn’t changed since the Caves & Cliffs Part 2 update, so you don’t have to worry too much if you are familiar with that update. With that, let’s learn how to find each ore in Minecraft 1.19 and Minecraft 1.20.
Note: The “Y” in the following descriptions refers to the world height, and each unit indicates one in-game block.
Diamonds Level in Minecraft
Putting an end to your anticipation, let’s go over where to find diamonds in Minecraft. In Minecraft 1.19 and later, diamond ore distribution includes below Y=16 world height only. From there, the deeper you go, the higher the chances of coming across diamonds. With that logic, the height of Y=-64 has the highest chance of spawning a deepslated diamond ore. Though, at this level, lava is also commonly found at almost every step, so check out our guide on the best level to find diamonds. Also, make sure to carry a Potion of Fire Resistance while you go mining.
Coal Level in Minecraft
Minecraft’s most efficient fuel generates between Y=256 and Y=0 world height. You can find it on top of mountains and even within caves. But if you want to amass it, it maximizes at Y=90.
Copper Level in Minecraft
Even though it’s not the most useful ore, copper is still pretty unique. So, if you want to experience it firsthand, you can find it below Y=112 and above Y=-16 world height. Its spawn rate is maximum at Y=48 world height. Moreover, it spawns more commonly in the dripstone caves biomes. So, you can use our best dripstone caves seeds to collect copper within minutes of spawning.
Iron Level in Minecraft
Whether you are a veteran player or a beginner, you can’t progress in Minecraft without a collection iron. This common and important ore generates between Y=-32 and Y=256. Though, finding it at the top of mountains isn’t easy. Instead, the most amount of iron generates at Y=16, which is where you should be looking as well.
Gold Level in Minecraft
The shiny gold ore generates most in the Badlands biome in the overworld. But irrespective of that, you can find it between levels Y=-64 and Y=32. The highest amount of gold ore is found at the Y=-16 in Minecraft 1.19 and Minecraft 1.20. But if you somehow fail to find it, you can also create a nether portal to find gold in the Nether dimension. Here, its generation rate is much higher than the best spots of the overworld where more gold is generated in comparison to the overworld.
Redstone Level in Minecraft
Redstone ore generates between Y=-32 and Y=-64, and its occurrence increase as you dig deeper. You can find maximum Redstone ore at Y=-64 in Minecraft 1.19 and 1.20.
Emerald Level in Minecraft
If you wish to trade with any type of villager in Minecraft, you need emeralds to get a good deal. In a way, it’s the currency of the game, and you can find it between Y=-16 and Y=256. Unlike most ores, emerald ore generates only in the mountains and windswept hills biomes, especially at a world height of Y=224.
Lapis Lazuli Level in Minecraft
If you want to use enchantments in Minecraft, you have to get lapis lazuli. But unfortunately, it is one of the rarest ores in all of its biomes. Though, its generation range lies between Y= -64 and Y= 64. But if you want to try your luck, Y=0 is the best height to find lapis lazuli.
How to Find Netherite in Minecraft
Even though Netherite doesn’t spawn in the same terrain or the same dimension as the other ores discussed aboive, it is still the strongest functional material in the game. Keeping that in mind, we have a dedicated guide that you can use to easily find Netherite in Minecraft. After you craft netherite ingots, you can visit a nearby Treasure Room Bastion to find the netherite upgrade smithing template. Then, you’ll be able to make netherite armor, tools, and a netherite sword, that’s going to help you beat any of the mobs in Minecraft. Though, you won’t have to worry about the Netherite until after you have discovered all the other ores in the game.
Biome-Based Ore Generation in Minecraft
A few of the ores have special relations with some Minecraft biomes. Because of that, ore distribution changes in some circumstances. The biome-affected changes to ores include:
- In the Badlands biome, Gold ore generates in higher quantities between Y=256 and Y=40 instead of its regular generation.
- You can find large veins of copper ores in dripstone caves easily. But such generation isn’t common in other biomes.
- Emerald ore is only generated in the mountain biomes. This is the only area exclusive ore in the game.
- Stony peaks biome is great to have near spawn since it’s filled with iron and coal ores and also a few easy emerald ores.
With Minecraft 1.19, the caves IN your worlds are now wider and more open than ever before. Because of that, the Minecraft distribution of exposed ores is more common than ever before. So, instead of digging around, you can just aim to find a huge deep dark biome to get a few interesting ores.
Moreover, you can also do the same in the Ancient city in Minecraft 1.19. They are easier to navigate through than caves, and you can find most ores on the roof of these cities. For a head start, refer to our long list of best Ancient city seeds in Minecraft. Though, the height-based ore generation rules still apply here.
With the knowledge of Minecraft 1.19 ore generation, you are ready to find all the ores you need in the game. And if you still need a push, our list of best Minecraft 1.19 seeds can lead you to a variety of lucky resourceful spawns. One of them even gets you diamond just seconds after spawning. Also, if you’re playing in the latest update, make sure to check out our article on best Minecraft 1.20 seeds. Though, if you know how to use the best Minecraft commands, finding an ore might never be an issue. But, even these in-game commands take a knee when the best Minecraft mods come into the picture.
However, most players avoid using commands and mods to keep the vanilla Minecraft experience alive. If you are among them, our guide to Minecraft’s enchantments can help your ore discovery journey without breaking the game’s rules. Having said that, don’t forget to share anything another ore finding tip that you discover within the new update in the comments section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Well, there is a limited number of ores in your world and they are not renewable. However, Minecraft world spreads about 30 million blocks from the spawn point in each direction. This means there are so many ores out there and you probably won’t even discover 5% of them all, so there’s no need to worry.
Possibly the rarest ore in Minecraft is a deepslate emerald ore. It’s quite rare to find a regular emerald ore and the deepslate one is even rarer as there is just a tiny gap in deepslate layers this ore can generate in.
Comments
3
Ishan Adhikary
Sagnik Das Gupta
Upanishad Sharma
Radojka Travar
Sampad Banerjee
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
It is correct, in theory, the lower you go, the more likely it is.
The most likely level for diamond is Y=-59 given that the issue is that it doesn’t account for bedrock floor, which can be anywhere within the bottom 5 blocks of the floor. So, even though it’s more likely, overall, given the roughness of the terrain and bedrock spread, it’s not efficient nor consistent.
You cannot even get down to -64 this level this whole article is BS… Please fix it.
What they were meaning is that it’s not at -64 but above it