Minecraft ore levels: best Y level for diamonds and every ore
The best Y level for every Minecraft ore in Java 26.3, computed from the game's world-generation files: diamonds, iron, gold, emerald, ancient debris and more.
In Minecraft Java Edition 26.3, diamonds get more common all the way down to the world floor at Y -64, so the best level to mine them is Y -59, the lowest layer free of bedrock. Iron peaks at Y 16 underground and Y 232 in mountains, gold at Y -16. We computed every level here from the world-generation files in Mojang's 26.3 client; Bedrock Edition may differ.
Every ore at a glance
Ranges are where the game places veins; the best level is where each height curve peaks.
Ore
Y range
Best level
Where
Diamond
-64 to 16
-59
Overworld
Redstone
-64 to 15
-59
Overworld
Lapis Lazuli
-64 to 64
0
Overworld
Gold
-64 to 32
-16
Overworld
Gold, extra
32 to 256
Any height
Badlands biomes
Iron
-64 to 72, 80 to 319
16, or 232 in mountains
Overworld
Copper
-16 to 112
48
Overworld
Coal
0 to 319
96, or 136 in mountains
Overworld
Emerald
-16 to 319
232
Mountain biomes
Nether Quartz
10 to 117
Any height
Nether
Nether Gold
10 to 117
Any height
Nether
Ancient Debris
8 to 119
16
Nether
Diamonds: as deep as the bedrock allows
Each chunk tries 7 small diamond veins, 4 buried ones, 2 medium ones spread evenly from Y -64 to -4, and a large one in one chunk out of nine. All but the medium veins follow a triangle centred on Y -64, the world floor, so about half of their tries fall below it: roughly 7.6 veins per chunk remain.
The files fill Y -64 with bedrock and thin it out over the next four layers, which makes Y -59 the richest layer you can clear. Y -16 holds just over half as many diamonds, Y 0 less than a fifth. The Minecraft Wiki's counts in generated worlds also give Y -59.
Cave walls are poorer: a diamond block that would touch air is skipped 50% of the time in small and medium veins, 70% in large ones and always in buried ones. Below Y 0 the stone turns to Deepslate, hence Deepslate Diamond Ore, which drops the same Diamond.
Iron, copper and ore veins
Iron gets 90 veins per chunk peaking at Y 232, 10 peaking at Y 16 and 10 small ones from Y -64 to 72. Ores only replace stone-type rock, so Y 232 only pays inside a mountain that high. Copper gets 16 veins per chunk peaking at Y 48, twice as big in Dripstone Caves (size 20, not 10).
Ore veins come on top: copper from Y 0 to 49 in Granite, thickest at Y 20 to 30, and iron from Y -60 to -9 in Tuff, thickest at Y -40 to -28. Up to 30% of a vein is ore, and 2% of that ore comes as a Block of Raw Copper or Raw Iron.
Gold, redstone, lapis, coal and emerald
Gold: 4 veins per chunk peaking at Y -16, and half their blocks touching air are skipped. Badlands biomes add 50 veins per chunk anywhere from Y 32 to 256, with no such penalty.
Redstone: 8 veins per chunk on a triangle centred on Y -64 and 4 spread up to Y 15, so Y -59 again.
Lapis Lazuli: 2 veins per chunk peaking at Y 0 and 4 buried ones anywhere from -64 to 64 that never touch air.
Coal: 20 veins per chunk peaking at Y 96, plus 30 anywhere from Y 136 up; Y 136, where both overlap, is the densest.
Emerald: 100 tiny veins per chunk peaking at Y 232, only in ten mountain and windswept biomes, such as Meadow, Grove and Jagged Peaks.
The Nether: quartz, gold and ancient debris
Nether Quartz Ore (16 veins per chunk) and Nether Gold Ore (10) spread evenly from Y 10 to 117, with twice as many in Basalt Deltas. Ancient Debris gets one cluster per chunk from Y 8 to 24, peaking at Y 16, and another anywhere from Y 8 to 119. Its discard chance on air exposure is 1: it is never generated next to air.
Pickaxes, Fortune and Silk Touch
Block tags set the pickaxe, deepslate versions included: any for Coal, Nether Quartz and Nether Gold Ore; Stone or Copper and up for Iron, Copper and Lapis Lazuli; Iron and up for Diamond, Gold, Redstone and Emerald; Diamond or Netherite for Ancient Debris. The loot tables apply Fortune to every ore except Ancient Debris, and Silk Touch drops the ore itself: compare levels in our enchanting calculator and enchantments list, and find pickaxes in the crafting database.
TagsMinecraft ore levelsdiamond Y leveliron Y levelancient debrisore distribution
Frequently asked questions
01What is the best Y level for diamonds in Minecraft?
Y -59 in Minecraft Java Edition 26.3. Diamonds get more common all the way down to the world floor at Y -64, and -59 is the lowest layer free of bedrock.
02What is the best Y level for iron in Minecraft?
In Minecraft Java Edition 26.3, iron peaks at Y 16 underground and at Y 232 inside mountains. Iron ore veins mixed with Tuff also form from Y -60 to -9.
03What is the best Y level for gold in Minecraft?
Y -16 in most Minecraft biomes. In the badlands biomes, 50 extra gold veins per chunk form at any height from Y 32 to 256.
04What Y level is ancient debris at in Minecraft?
In Minecraft Java Edition 26.3, ancient debris generates in the Nether from Y 8 to 119 and is most common at Y 16. It is never generated next to air and needs a Diamond or Netherite Pickaxe.
05Where do emeralds spawn in Minecraft?
Only in ten mountain and windswept biomes, such as Meadow, Grove and Jagged Peaks, from Y -16 up and most of all at Y 232, according to the Minecraft Java Edition 26.3 files.
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