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You need to dig beyond specific levels for Diamonds to craft the most durable and strongest equipment in Minecraft version 1.21. The Ores for the cyan-colored gem is very rare and only found deep underground. Being able to mine more than a few pieces at a time can be considered a jackpot. Nevertheless, we have some pointers that will help you find more of them as you go spelunking toward the Deep Dark biome.
Diamond Ores Levels and Altitude in Minecraft 1.21
[Updated on 30 August – Added new images and tweaked the explanations]
Diamond Ores can be found underground starting from levels Y=14 to Y=-63. However, the block has a chance not to spawn if it’s next to air; the deeper and less air exposure you go, the easier you’ll find the Ores. For that reason, we recommend digging to Y=-58 to Y=-63 to mine them. Diamond Ore that replaces Tuff or Deepslate blocks becomes Deepslate Diamond Ore.
In recent updates, Minecraft 12.1 has introduced new ways to find Diamonds outside of mining to lower levels:
- Spawns more often the closer you get to bedrock.
- Sometimes, it can replace Fossils below Y=0 but it’s very rare.
- Looted from Chests from various places including Villages, Shipwreck, and Trial Chambers.
Before you start, ensure you’re well-equipped, as you need at the very least an Iron Pickaxe to mine Diamond Ore. Breaking a block with anything weaker than an Iron Pickaxe will simply destroy the Ore. Try enchanting your Pickaxe as well: Fortune will increase the yield and Silk Touch will keep the Ore intact.
Speaking of mining, there are two popular methods to uncover these shiny blue gems. One popular technique is branch mining, which involves creating a main tunnel with smaller branches every two blocks. Another method is strip mining, where you quickly clear out large sections of blocks and then move on to the next area.
What Do You Use Diamonds for?
Diamond is one of the strongest materials you can mine in Minecraft version 12.1. With it, you can craft a powerful Diamond Sword, Pickaxe, Shovel, and Armor and fashion up with Diamond Armor Trim. You can also trade them for Emerald with Toolsmith, Weaponsmith, and Armorer Villagers. Moreover, the item is needed to craft Enchanting Tables, requiring:
- Book x1.
- Diamond x2.
- Obsidian x4.
Now, if you have collected Diamonds and want to learn how to make Obsidian for Enchanting, we also have a Minecraft 1.21 guide on that.
