Mining ore was pretty straightforward prior to the Minecraft 1.18 update. Players can dig down to Y-level 12 to find pretty much any ore they desire. However, this is no longer the case because Minecraft Caves and Cliffs completely overhauled ore spawn locations in the game. This article will give a complete guide on how to distribute ores in Minecraft 1.18.
Minecraft ore distribution model 1.18
In general, ores in Minecraft follow a triangular distribution pattern, with the spawn rate decreasing as the player moves up and down the Y-level. This means that players need to stick to the midpoint of the distribution to get the best mining results. Here is the chart for the ore distribution model in Minecraft 1.18:
The best place to collect ores
| Ore type | Biome | Mining type | Mining range | Optimal mining location |
| Charcoal | All | Blob | Y 0 to Y 320 | Y 96 |
| Copper | All | Blob or Vein | Y 0 to Y 320 | Y 48 |
| Diamond | All | Blob | Y -64 to Y 16 | The deeper you go, the more appear |
| Emerald | Only in the mountains | Blob | Y -16 to Y 320 | Near the top of the mountain, Y 256 |
| Yellow | All | Blob or Vein | Y 0 to 320 | Y -16, but extremely common in the Badland biome |
| Iron | All | Blob or Vein | Y 0 to Y 320 | Y 225, Y 16, and Y -32 to Y -60 |
| Lapis Lazuli | All | Blob | Y -64 to Y 64 | Y -32 to Y 32 |
| Red stones | All | Blob | Y -64 to Y 15 | Y -32 |
Y 96 for coal ore
With the Minecraft 1.18 update, coal ores are most common at y=96. They can be found on top of small hills and inside mountains. This is the best location for coal mining, but players can still find it anywhere between y=0 and y=256.
Y 232 for emerald ore
Emerald is one of the rarest ores in Minecraft, will be generated the most at y = 232. This level is just a point that is supposed to spawn a lot of ores, it can still be found anywhere. anywhere from y = -16 to y = 256.
Y 48 for copper ore
Copper is a new material added in the Hang and Cliffs update. With the Minecraft 1.18 update, the best level to find copper ore is y=48. Copper is also fairly common in the mountains and can be found anywhere between y=-16 and y=112. Also There will also be large but rare copper ore veins, which can be generated from y = 48 to y = 0.
Y 232 for iron ore
With the Minecraft 1.18 update, players can find the most iron in the mountains, not underground. The best grades to find iron ore are y=232 and y=16. Of course, iron is one of the most common ores and can be found at any y-grade. Iron ore veins can also be found in the range y = -8 to y = -56.
Y -58 for diamond ore
The location and density of diamonds have also changed in the Minecraft 1.18 update. When bedrock teleports down 64 levels, the best level to find diamond ore is y = -58. They can be found anywhere between y = 12 and y = -64.
Different levels have different types of ores in Minecraft and it is important for players to know the right levels to find each ore in the game.
How to collect each specific ore in Minecraft 1.18
Diamond
The sparkling beauty that everyone is after, Diamonds are the best ore that can be found in the Overworld. Diamonds and the process of finding them have become an important part of Minecraft and players will be happy to know that it has become a little easier with update 1.18.
Diamond looks quite similar to Redstone. It starts at layer 16 and goes all the way down to Bedrock. It also becomes more popular as you dive in, although not as much as Redstone. The best layer to find it is -59 to keep Bedrock out of the way. The lucky ones can even see it clearly on the wall in the new caves.
Emerald
Necessary to trade with Villager, Emeralds are not normally found in ore veins. Finding Emeralds would be much easier if done through Villager trading. This ore only spawns in the mountain biome, which the 1.18 update thankfully made this biome much larger than before.
In the mountain biome, Emeralds will spawn from layer 320 (top of the world) to -16. However, unlike most other ores, they produce more with a higher value. Although 320 is theoretically the best place to find them, no mountain can create that height, so layer 236 becomes the best place to find these green gems.
Yellow
As the classic shiny object that everyone wants to own, gold is quite limited for uses in Minecraft. It’s mostly useless for crafting tools and armor, however, Piglin in the Nether will happily take it out of the player’s hands in exchange for some goodies.
Under normal circumstances, the resulting gold is from layers 32 to -64, with the most common being -16. However, when in the Badlands biome, the golden ratio increases dramatically.
In this biome, gold is generated from level 256 and drops to level 32 before switching to its standard system. Gold is also popular worldwide, so gamers can mine it anywhere in the Badlands biome.
Redstone (redstone)
Useful for all kinds of crazy constructions and advanced machines, Redstone is one of the most common ores found in the deepest depths of the Minecraft world. It starts at layer 16 and continues down to Bedrock.
When searching for the most popular layers, players need to go as deep as possible. Redstone becomes more common with each layer below -32, so mining around -59 would be the best position. While it’s theoretically a bit more common, Bedrock starts spawning at -60 and below, which makes mining around Redstone much harder.
Lapis Lazuli
An exotic material needed for both dyeing and enchantment, Lapis Lazuli is surprisingly rare. It is created in regular caves and Deepslate caves in equal numbers, from layer 64 down to Bedrock. However, Lapis Lazuli is relatively rare in those areas.
The algorithm that generates Lapis Lazuli makes it only slightly more popular than gold in most situations. Searchers should focus on the top of the Deepslate layer, at -1.
Gamers should go a little higher as Stone can be mined a lot faster than Deepslate, although ore will be a bit less common, making it more efficient overall, especially when spells buff. fit.
Iron
Iron is the material that players will use most of the time playing Minecraft. It is best for gamers to buy iron tools and armor as soon as possible, as they will help keep the character safe before finding diamonds. Thankfully, iron’s range is the widest and most numerous of the ores, generating from 320 to -64, equal to the entire height of the Minecraft world.
However, it is not evenly distributed in that space, and surprisingly it is often on the highest mountains. There are two layers where iron is the most abundant, layers 232 and 15. This position is not too difficult for most Minecraft players.
Copper
Copper is the newest ore, added since Minecraft 1.17, which is relatively easy to find. The total range for copper mining is layers 112 to -16. This means that players can go into Deepslate layers and find a bit of copper, but it’s still best to move to slightly higher positions.
The interesting thing about copper is that it has a much greater spawn rate in the biome in Dripstone cave, which is as common as coal in those areas. Whether the player is in Dripstone Cave or not, the best layer to find copper is 48, meaning there’s no need to dive too deep below the surface to collect them.
Charcoal
The most common ore in Minecraft, coal will be everywhere the player sees when first diving in a cave. With the ability to generate at level 320 to 0, coal seekers will need to stay above the Deepslate layer, searching in regular rock caves or on hilly terrain.
The distribution algorithms for this ore come in two levels, with coal being most common at 95 and 136. It’s worth noting that this whole layer will likely be on average ground, meaning mountains are where best to look for coal.
Nether Quartz
Nether Quartz – Nether Quartz, is a resource, a special ore that can only be found in the Nether. As of update 1.16, some biomes like the Nether Wastes are generally better locations to find Nether Quartz, as the landscape is very barren and open. However, in general, Nether Quartz spawns between Y 10 and Y 117 in the Nether.
Nether Quartz is used in some select redstone recipes. More importantly, it is a beautifully decorated block, and mining it gives quite a bit of exp. On the other hand, Nether Quartz has no effect except for its splendid and beautiful appearance.
Ancient Debris
Ancient Debris – Ancient Fragment, introduced in update 1.16, and this resource is exclusive to the Nether. This is a special block that does no damage when it explodes and it can even float in lava.
Ancient shards are mostly found at Y level 15, and the most efficient way to mine it is to mine in a long corridor. Every 5 blocks or so at the initial Y level, mine a tunnel and place a bed at the end of the tunnel to create an explosion.
After the shards are melted, it will create a Netherite shard. It takes 4 Netherite shards to combine with 4 Gold shards to create a Netherite ingot. This 1 Netherite ingot is enough to upgrade a diamond item, enchanted or not.