How to Find Every Ore in Minecraft By Y-Level

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The best heights to mine for iron, gold, diamonds, and more

Co-authored by Zac Churchill and Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: August 23, 2026 Fact Checked

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Minecraft Ore Levels

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In Minecraft, there's actually an entire system that controls where you can find certain ores. The ores are spread out amongst the game's Y-levels, which extend up into the sky and go down all the way to the bedrock level. In this article, we'll cover which Y-level is the best for finding each ore in Minecraft, as well as some other tips for finding the ore you're hunting.

Minecraft Ore Y-Level Chart

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An illustrated chart showing which y-level is best for finding each Minecraft ore.

If you're looking to mine certain ores in Minecraft, here are the best Y-levels to find each one:

Coal: Y 96
Iron: Y 16
Copper: Y 48
Gold: Y -16
Lapis Lazuli: Y 0
Redstone: Y -59
Diamond: Y -59
Emerald: Y 232

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Minecraft Ore Levels

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Coal: Y 96 The best Y-level to mine for coal is at Y 96. Secondarily, you can find huge surface veins at Y 136. If you plan to mine at Y 96, branch mining is your best bet. Otherwise, you can usually find coal exposed on mountainsides very easily.^{[1]
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- Y-level: Y 96
- Veins: 50 per chunk
- Shape: Mixed (triangle and uniform)
- Spawns between: Y 0 and Y 320
- Biomes: All
- Air exposure: 50%
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Iron: Y 16 The best place to find iron is to branch mine at Y-level 16. Secondarily, you can also mine exposed mountain stone around Y 230 if you prefer to mine above ground instead of deep underground.^{[2]
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- Y-level: Y 16
- Veins: 110 per chunk
- Shape: Mixed (triangle and uniform)
- Spawns between: Y -64 and Y 320
- Biomes: All
- Air exposure: 0%
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Copper: Y 48 The best Y-level to find copper is Y 48, preferably inside a Dripstone Cave. Dripstone Caves have double the amount of copper as other areas at Y 48, so if you need to stock up, that's the place to go mining.^{[3]
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- Y-level: Y 48
- Veins: 16 per chunk
- Shape: Triangle
- Spawns between: Y -16 and Y 112
- Biomes: All (Dripstone Caves preferred)
- Air exposure: 0%
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Gold: Y -16 If you're in any biome besides Badlands, the best place to find gold is at Y -16. However, in the Badlands, you can find 50 extra veins per chunk between Y 32 and Y 256. The Badlands biome also has a higher chance of spawning gold, so it's best to mine it there.^{[4]
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- Y-level: Y -16
- Veins: 4.5 per chunk
- Shape: Mixed (triangle and uniform)
- Spawns between: Y -64 and Y 32
- Biomes: All (Badlands preferred)
- Air exposure: 50%
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Lapis Lazuli: Y 0 You'll find the most lapis lazuli on Y-level 0. Since lapis lazuli has a 100% air exposure chance (it's deleted if it's next to an air block), you'll have more luck finding it via branch/strip mining versus exploring open caves.^{[5]
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- Y-level: Y 0
- Veins: 6 per chunk
- Shape: Mixed (triangle and uniform)
- Spawns between: Y -64 and Y 64
- Biomes: All
- Air exposure: 100%
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Redstone: Y -59 The peak Y-level to find redstone is at Y -59. This ore is found deep, deep underground, and the further you go, the denser the redstone ore will become.^{[6]
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- Y-level: Y -59
- Veins: 12 per chunk
- Shape: Mixed (triangle and uniform)
- Spawns between: Y -64 and Y 15
- Biomes: All
- Air exposure: 0%
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Diamond: Y -59 Like redstone, diamond is also found deep underground. However, unlike redstone, diamond can be destroyed by air exposure, so it's best to branch/strip mine for this ore.^{[7]
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- Y-level: Y -59
- Veins: 13.1 per chunk
- Shape: Mixed (triangle and uniform)
- Spawns between: Y -64 and Y 16
- Biomes: All
- Air exposure: 50% - 100%
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Emerald: Y 232 Unlike other ores in Minecraft, emerald is only found in one biome, and it's best found at an altitude. The best Y-level for emerald is Y 232, and you'll only find it in mountain biomes. Y-level 232 is the peak, but you can find it at a lower elevation, as well.^{[8]
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- Y-level: Y 232
- Veins: 100 per chunk
- Shape: Triangle
- Spawns between: Y -16 and Y 320
- Biomes: Mountainous
- Air exposure: 0%

Section 2 of 2:

FAQ

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What's the best Y-level to find ore in the Nether? You can find Nether Quartz and Nether gold abundantly throughout the Nether; there's no particular Y-level that works best for them, as they have uniform distribution shapes (more on that below). For Ancient Debris, the best Y-level is Y 15.
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What's the difference between a triangle and a uniform shape? A triangular shape means the ore has a peak Y-level where you can find it more easily, and Y-levels above and below this level taper off slowly. A uniform shape means that the ore has an equal probability of being found everywhere. All overworld ores in Minecraft are either mixed (a combo of uniform and triangular shapes) or triangular. There are no ores that are purely uniform. However, Nether Quartz and Nether Gold both have uniform distribution shapes.^{[9]
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What is branch mining? Branch mining is another word for strip mining. In this mining technique, you create a central tunnel, then branch off into offshoot tunnels to maximize the amount of blocks you can see without using up too much tool durability or putting yourself in danger.
- Strip mining is also key to finding certain deep ores that can be destroyed if generated next to an air block. You'll find more lapis lazuli and diamonds if you branch mine, and you'll find less if you go caving.
- Check out this wikiHow article to learn how to strip mine in Minecraft.
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What is air exposure? Air exposure is a game feature that helps ensure certain rare ores stay rare. If an ore has an air exposure chance, that means that a percentage of ore veins exposed to an air block will be deleted.^{[10]
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- Coal and gold have a 50% chance of air exposure. That means that when a coal or gold vein comes into contact with an air block, there's only a 50% chance that it will be deleted.
- Lapis lazuli, on the other hand, has a 100% chance of air exposure. If a lapis vein touches an air block when it is generated, it will be deleted. This is why you'll find more lapis lazuli while strip/branch mining instead of wandering in open caves.
- Diamond has a variable chance of air exposure. 50% to 100% of diamond veins will be deleted when exposed to air during generation. Like lapis, you'll find way more diamonds by strip mining than by exploring caves.