Ore Finder: Best Y Levels
Where to mine every ore in 1.21, from real world-generation data. Java and Bedrock.
Quick answer: diamonds and redstone at Y=-59, iron at Y=14 or Y=232 on mountains, gold at Y=-18 (or badlands surface), ancient debris at Y=16 in the Nether.
Pick an ore
Full distribution chart
| Ore | Range | Best Y level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coal | 0 to 320 | 45 (real-world sampling); one batch is even from Y=136 to 320, the other runs 0 to 192 and peaks around Y=96 | Wooden pickaxe or better. |
| Copper | -16 to 112 | 43 | Stone pickaxe or better. Blobs are much bigger in dripstone caves biomes. |
| Iron | -64 to 320 | 14 underground, 232 on mountains | Stone pickaxe or better. Two main batches: deep iron around Y=14 and a huge mountain batch peaking at Y=232. |
| Gold | -64 to 32 | -18 | Iron pickaxe or better. Badlands bonus: extra gold generates up to Y=256 in badlands biomes. |
| Lapis Lazuli | -64 to 64 | -2 | Stone pickaxe or better. Never generates exposed to air - you must dig for it. |
| Redstone | -64 to 16 | -59 | Iron pickaxe or better. Shares the deep triangle with diamonds - mine both on the same trip. |
| Diamond | -64 to 16 | -59 | Iron pickaxe or better. Reduced air exposure since 1.18: branch mining beats cave exploring. Deepslate variants below Y=8. |
| Emerald | -16 to 320 | 85 - higher is better | Mountain biomes only, in small blobs of 0-3 ores that can be exposed to the sky. Iron pickaxe or better. Usually easier to get via trading. |
| Nether Quartz | 10 to 117 (Nether) | around 114, but common everywhere up to 120 | Wood pickaxe or better. Great early XP source in the Nether. |
| Nether Gold | 10 to 117 (Nether) | common up to 95 | Any pickaxe. Drops 2-6 gold nuggets; with Fortune III the average is 8.8, less than an ingot, so Silk Touch plus smelting is slightly more efficient. |
| Ancient Debris | 8 to 119 (Nether) | 16 | Diamond pickaxe or better, never exposed to air. Bed or TNT mining at Y=15-16 is the standard method. |
Mining tips that matter more than Y level
- Reduced air exposure (1.18+): diamonds, lapis and gold generate less often in blocks exposed to air. Branch mining beats cave running for those three.
- Fortune III multiplies drops from every ore except iron and gold (which drop raw blocks - smelt them or use Silk Touch).
- Deepslate is slower to mine: below Y=8 most ores come in deepslate variants. Bring Efficiency IV+ or accept the slower swings.
- Bed mining in the Nether: beds explode in the Nether and cost almost nothing - the classic ancient debris method at Y=15. Bring fire resistance.
Related guides: How to Find Diamonds - Netherite Ingot - Deep Dark