As of Minecraft 1.21.4, caving remains the best way to mine ore. However, knowing optimal Y levels will still only help! Today, we explore Minecraft ore by Y level, including where the most diamonds are typically found.

Minecraft Ore By Y Level

Overworld

Coal

• Biome: Any
• Y Level Range: 0 to 320
• Optimal Y Level: 45

Copper

• Biome: Any
• Y Level Range: -16 to 112
• Optimal Y Level: 43

Iron

• Biome: Any
• Y Level Range: -64 to 72
• Optimal Y Level: 14

Gold

• Biome: Any
• Y Level Range: -64 to 32
• Optimal Y Level: -18

In Badlands biomes, gold generates in much greater abundance all the way up to Y level 256. If mining a Badlands biome for gold, anywhere between Y level 32 and 256 is optimal.

Emerald

• Biome: Cherry Grove, Frozen Peaks, Grove, Jagged Peaks, Meadow, Snowy Slopes, Stony Peaks, Windswept Forest, Windswept Gravelly Hills, Windswept Hills, and Windswept Forest
• Y Level Range: -16 to 320
• Optimal Y Level: 85

Emeralds are the only ore (by Minecraft’s definition) to be exclusive to a small subset of biomes. Trading with villagers is the most efficient way to gather this resource.

Lapis

• Biome: Any
• Y Level Range: -64 to 64
• Optimal Y Level: -2

Redstone

• Biome: Any
• Y Level Range: -64 to 16
• Optimal Y Level: -59

Diamond

• Biome: Any
• Y Level Range: -64 to 16
• Optimal Y Level: -59

Players who prefer strip mining and tunneling will find Y level -59 to be the most optimal layer to mine on. However, a pickaxe with both efficiency and unbreaking is recommended before doing so.

Nether

Gold Nugget

• Biome: Any (Nether)
• Y Level Range: 1 to 116
• Optimal Y Level: 16 or 114

Nether gold ore is most optimally mined at the levels with the least amount of lava, leaving both 16 and 114 as ideal options. We recommend Y level 16 as it comes with the bonus of being able to find ancient debris as well.

Quartz

• Biome: Any (Nether)
• Y Level Range: 1 to 127
• Optimal Y Level: 16 or 114

Like nether gold ore, quartz ore is most optimally mined at the levels with the least amount of lava, leaving both 16 and 114 as ideal options. We recommend Y level 16 once again, as it comes with the bonus of being able to find ancient debris.

Ancient Debris

• Biome: Any (Nether)
• Y Level Range: 1 to 119
• Optimal Y Level: 16

Ancient debris is most optimally mined on layer 16, where lava is least common. We recommend the use of exploding beds or TNT to speed up the mining process since ancient debris is resistant to explosions.