Amethyst in Minecraft: Everything You Need to Know

If you want to build with beautiful magical purple blocks, craft items like the spyglass, or perhaps duplicate our favorite blue fairies, the Allays, you will need to have access to amethyst blocks and items. They are fairly common and generate underground. In this guide, we’ll do a deep dive into everything you should know about amethyst in Minecraft. We have covered the different variants like budding amethyst, amethyst blocks, amethyst crystals, and amethyst shards, along with their uses.

Where to Find Amethyst in Minecraft

Amethyst blocks are only generated in underground natural structures called amethyst geodes. They are spherical structures usually open on one side. Every geode is made up of layers.

The outer layer consists of smooth basalt blocks, which are dark and polished-looking blocks that surround the entire geode. Then, there is the middle calcite layer. It’s made of white calcite blocks. The layer closest to the center of the geode is amethyst and budding amethyst blocks layer.

You’ll also find plenty of amethyst crystals growing inside the geode, as it’s completely hollow. We will mention more about these blocks in the next section in detail.

For now, let’s see where you can find a geode. This structure usually generates anywhere between Y level = -58 and Y level = 30. Geodes are quite common and generally not difficult to locate. Possibly the fastest and easiest way of finding amethyst geodes is by exploring caves.

If you come across a massive cave system, one or even more geodes are likely generated somewhere within. Moreover, geodes can appear underwater too and since the floor in these Minecraft biomes is mostly flat, the geode will stand out.

Amethyst Blocks and Items in Minecraft

Now, let’s focus on all the different amethyst blocks and items you can find in this blocky game.

1. Amethyst Blocks

As we already mentioned, amethyst blocks and budding amethyst generate as a part of the central layer of geodes. Amethyst blocks are more smooth-looking purple blocks and are mostly used in builds.

Besides finding them naturally in geodes, you can also craft them with four amethyst shards. These regular amethyst blocks are unique and also make a gorgeous sound when stepped on. Furthermore, you can use any tier of an unenchanted pickaxe to obtain this block.

2. Budding Amethyst

Budding amethyst blocks are far rarer than ordinary amethyst blocks. You’ll easily identify them since they have a prominent X mark visible on the texture. These blocks are also important because they allow amethyst crystals to generate on them. So basically, they are the amethyst generators.

Unlike regular amethyst blocks, budding amethyst cannot be obtained in survival mode. No matter whether you break it with a netherite pickaxe enchanted with silk touch or try to move it with a piston, you cannot transport it to a different location.

Also, budding amethyst does break quite easily and when that happens, you wwill permanently lose an opportunity to harvest amethyst crystals from it. It’s kind of similar to breaking a mob spawner. The crystals will only grow if the player is in the random tick range of the geode.

So, finding a geode close to your base is pretty convenient, especially if you’re planning on using a lot of these purple blocks.

3. Amethyst Crystals

When you enter a geode, the first thing to draw your attention are the amethyst crystals. They are non-full blocks generating on all sides of budding amethyst. However, some sides of the budding amethyst may be covered by other blocks.

So, to maximize amethyst crystal generation, you should always clear out blocks surrounding the budding blocks. When the crystals first spawn, they will appear as small amethyst buds, which are the smallest variants.

After some time, the small amethyst bud will grow into a medium amethyst bud, which is a bit bigger. Then, it will grow into a large amethyst bud, which is obviously bigger than the medium.

4. Amethyst Cluster

Finally, it will eventually grow into an amethyst cluster, which is the largest crystal variant. Breaking an amethyst cluster block with an unenchanted pickaxe drops 4 amethyst shards. If the cluster was broken by hand or by a piston, it drops 2 amethyst shards.

The number of amethyst shards dropped can be multiplied with the fortune enchantment. Using a pickaxe with Fortune III enchantment can yield up to 16 shards per cluster. Breaking any of the smaller crystal variants without silk touch doesn’t drop anything. However, if you do use silk touch, the buds and the cluster will drop themselves in item form, allowing you to place them on any solid block.

5. Amethyst Shards

Amethyst shards are items that resemble parts of a crystal. When you mine an amethyst cluster in Minecraft, you can get up to 16 amethyst shards, depending on whether you break it with your hand, an unenchanted pickaxe, or a fortune pickaxe.

These items are part of several useful crafting recipes, including the one for the block of amethyst.

Best Uses of Amethyst in Minecraft

After taking your time to find a geode and acquire amethyst blocks and items, you probably want to know what you can do with all of them. So, that’s exactly what we will discuss below.

1. Block of Amethyst

With amethyst shards, you can easily craft a block of amethyst, calibrated sculk sensor, spyglass, and tinted glass. Block of amethyst requires 4 amethyst shards in a 2×2 configuration (see image below).

2. Calibrated Sculk Sensor

The calibrated sculk sensor is a redstone component block capable of filtering and transmitting redstone signals wirelessly. Read our guide on making a calibrated sculk sensor for more details.

Amethyst has another function related to sculk sensors, and it’s in vibration resonance. This effect is achieved when you place multiple regular sensors (up to 7 or calibrated sculk sensors up to 14 blocks apart) and an amethyst block against them.

After you trigger one sensor, it will transmit the signal to other sensors that have an amethyst block attached. This is a true game-changer in the process of creating redstone farms and contraptions.

3. Craft Spyglass

Spyglass is an item that allows you to zoom in and see the mobs, blocks, or terrain from afar better. For crafting it, you will need one amethyst shard and two copper ingots.

4. Tinted Glass

Tinted glass is a special variant of glass that is transparent, but it doesn’t let the light travel through it. This means you can use this block while creating a wall of your mob spawner farm, and you’ll be able to see what’s going on inside without affecting the spawn rate of mobs.

You will need 4 amethyst shards and one glass block for this crafting recipe.

5. Make Armor Trims

With the Minecraft 1.20 update, armor trims have been introduced to the game. They offer unique customization options for your armor. Besides having a variety of pattern and design options, you can also dye the trims in 10 different colors.

One of these colors is purple, and it’s provided by the amethyst shard items. Place a piece of armor, one amethyst shard, and an armor trim on a smithing table to create a new look. Follow the linked guide explaining how to customize armor in Minecraft.

6. Allay Duplication

Allays are super cute fairy-looking like mobs that can pick up items are return them to the player or the note block. They are useful in farm designs and even though they’re not necessary for the farms to function, it’s always fun to see them flying around.

Amethyst shards are a necessity if you want to have lots of allays. We’ve already prepared the guide on how to tame and duplicate allays, so check it out if you need more info.

7. Decoration & Light Source

Any block in Minecraft can be used in building houses if it suits a certain theme or idea. The same goes for the amethyst blocks and crystals. They are most often included in magical fantasy builds. Thanks to their vibrant and shiny purple color and sweet interaction sound, we can see why that’s the case.

Apart from being wonderful decorative items, the amethyst crystals also emit light. The small bud emits light level 1, the medium emits level 2, the large emits level 4, and the amethyst cluster emits light level 5. If you’re interested in more light source blocks in Minecraft, follow our guide.

Now you know everything about amethyst blocks, items, and uses in Minecraft. So, what are your thoughts on them? Do you like using these magical blocks? Or you’re perhaps more of a redstone engineer who appreciates the vibration resonance feature? Let us know in the comments below!