How to Find Diamonds in Minecraft?
Diamonds are amongst the most valuable and highly sought-after resources in Minecraft, as they are used when creating high-tier Diamond and Netherite tools, gear, and weapons. But, their lucrative nature makes them rather challenging to obtain, and countless players can struggle with the process. Stick around to find out about the best ways to obtain diamonds in Minecraft for a smooth and pleasant yet efficient gameplay experience.
Mining Diamonds In Minecraft (Guide)
Diamonds are one of the most challenging resources to acquire in Minecraft, alongside Emeralds, Ancient Debris, and Lapis Lazuli. The rarity makes it challenging to acquire diamonds, and greatly limits the number of diamonds available for players to use in-game.
Still, they can be extremely useful for crafting some of the best gear and equipment in the game. Players will need to take the following aspects into consideration before they embark on their quest in search of diamond ore:
Tool Quality (Iron, Diamond, or Netherite)
It may be tempting to use a stone pickaxe to mine for durability’s sake, but players may be missing out on opportunities for diamonds using lower-tiered tools. Diamonds will not drop from diamond ore blocks when mined with wood, stone, or gold pickaxes, and iron is the lowest possible tier players could use.
Players would ideally need a Diamond or Netherite pickaxe to mine for diamonds. Bring along a handful of pickaxes where possible (at least 2), as the odds are that one of your pickaxes will break along the way. But, save these for the valuable blocks, and bring a few lower-tier pickaxes to mine through stone, as well as a few shovels to get through dirt and gravel.
Pickaxe Enchantments for Mining Diamonds
There are quite a few enchantments that can prove beneficial while mining valuable resources, such as Mending, Silk Touch, and Unbreaking. But, the best enchantment for gathering diamonds is undoubtedly the Fortune enchantment, which will increase the average number of diamonds obtained, depending on the enchantment’s level.
At max, Fortune III, your pickaxe will harvest an average of 2.2 and a max of 4 diamonds per block. Considering diamond ore blocks’ scarcity, maximizing the output of each ore block will be the best way to get more diamonds more quickly. Save these enchanted pickaxes for diamond blocks only for optimized efficiency.
Storage
It’s always a good idea to place a chest or two in the center of your mining zone so that you won’t need to travel back to the surface frequently. Use one chest for items like food, torches, valuable ore or resources, and pickaxes, and use the other chest for common blocks like stone and sand. Make sure these chests are stored in a safe location, protected from creeper blasts.
Surrounding Blocks (Lava, Mobs, & Valuable Ore)
Players will need to consider the surrounding blocks, as you’ll have to get through a ton of landmass before you find diamond ore. Don’t skip out on the opportunity to gather some awesome resources along the way, and be sure to prepare yourself for potential threats.
Lava
There are plenty of dangers awaiting underground, including potential lava flows. Bring along a few buckets of water and empty buckets for these cases, as you will need water to combat burn damage or convert lava to obsidian. Empty buckets can be used to collect lava for other purposes.
Mobs
Since diamonds will be found deep below the ground’s surface, the environment will be quite dark – perfect for mobs. Make sure to bring along some torches, and place them down as you mine to prevent mobs from spawning.
Valuable Blocks
Having a top-tiered pickaxe will allow players to mine diamond ore blocks as well as any neighboring blocks that are valuable like Emerald and Redstone. Use standard and unenchanted top-tier pickaxes for these resources, unless more of these resources are needed in your case.
Diamond Coordinates In Minecraft
Considering the great benefits of diamonds in-game, they are only found at a rate of approximately -0.0846% (less than 1 in 1200). Diamond ore blobs can be found in veins as large as up to 8 blocks, but they are more commonly found in smaller blobs.
Their approximate locations will depend on a few factors, but the primary influence will be which Minecraft version or update you are playing. Below is an outline of how the diamond ore block coordinate locations may differ between Minecraft versions:
| Minecraft Version | Diamond Ore Layer Coordinates |
| General | (Y-5) > (Y-16) |
| <1.17.1 | (Y-5) > (Y-12) |
| 1.18 | (Y-50) > (Y-64) |
The later version update (1.18) features an increased density of Diamonds per layer, giving players a higher chance of obtaining more diamonds. But, it will require players heading to level Y-59 at the bottom of the world.
For the Bedrock edition, level Y-11 has the biggest chance of finding diamonds. Below is a spreadsheet showing the best level for mining diamonds on Bedrock edition 1.16.221, thanks to the Minecraft Wiki:
All in all, diamond is more common on layer 12, but it is more common just above the bedrock level in later versions. Below is an infographic displaying the average diamond ore locations between different Minecraft versions, thanks to Rock Paper Shotgun:
If you’re playing the Java edition, you can view which level you’re on by bringing up the coordinates display. This can be done depending on your device, platform, or edition, as seen as follows:
| Device/Platform | Coordinates Display Setting |
| PC (Java) | “F3” Key |
| Mac (Java) | “FN + F3” Keys |
| Console | Enter the game options before loading your world and select “Show Co-ordinates” |
| Bedrock Edition | Enter the game options before loading your world and select “Show Co-ordinates” |
The figure next to “XYZ” indicates the coordinates of the bottom section of your body, as seen below thanks to Rock Paper Shotgun:
Diamonds can also be located anywhere beneath layer 16 in many Minecraft versions. However, this is generally less common in certain versions of the game.
How To Find Diamonds In Minecraft
There are quite a few ways to acquire diamonds in Minecraft, although these methods will differ in terms of their tool and resource requirements, time spending, and danger levels. Below is an overview of the best methods for obtaining diamonds in Minecraft, as well as their potential pros and cons:
| Diamond Method | Pros | Cons |
| Spelunking | Cuts down on mining work Reduces the need for tools and resources | Caves are home to many aggressive mobs |
| Deep-Sea Diving | A fun way to get diamonds while exploring underwater areas | Players must have many Water Breathing potions and Night Vision potions |
| Use TNT | Drops 100% of the items in the Java edition | Not suitable in the Bedrock edition Takes a lot of resources and effort |
| Branch Mining | Safer and more reliable | Consumes more tool-crafting resources |
| Staircase Method | Enable players to cover a large area on the X and Y-axis | It may require including the branch method for increased efficiency |
| Strip Mining Method | Great if you’re also planning to build an underground survival base | More tedious than other methods It will leave a ton of dirt and stone |
| Abandoned Mineshafts and Villages (Chests) | A fun way to explore and gain valuable items in the process | The occurrence of these chests is rare |
| Villager Trading (Diamond Tools) | Players can obtain diamond tools, which can speed up the process of mining diamonds | Players will not be able to source raw diamonds or diamond ore |
Since each method will have various advantages and disadvantages, the choice between approaches will rely on player preferences. Choose the one that seems most enjoyable or suitable for your case, or use a combination of methods for increased efficiency.
1. Spelunking
Now that you’ve got all the necessary equipment, you can start your journey in seeking diamonds in the most vanilla way possible – by mining them. Mining diamonds is the classic method, but it can be effective for acquiring plenty of diamonds as well as other useful items in-game.
While there are many mining techniques, another way to find diamonds is to explore caves and caverns, as these will already cut down on a ton of mining work. Players will need fewer tools and resources than vanilla mining, but they will still need to follow the above Mining Guide for the highest diamond yield possible.
Players will need to mine away all the blocks that touch the diamond blocks once they find a diamond ore blob. This step is crucial, as it will expose the diamond blob and ensure the area is safe before mining – so that diamonds do not fall into lava and burn.
Consider the following factors while exploring natural caves in search of diamonds:
- Focus on mining between layers 11 and 12.
- Lava generally spawns between levels Y-4 to Y-10.
- Use ravines, shafts, and waterfalls for easy access.
2. Deep-Sea Diving
Exploring the ocean can be a great way to obtain diamonds while embarking on awesome aquatic adventures. But, it will not be as reliable as many of the other methods on this list.
The ocean is home to countless ravines that could contain underwater caves, many of which will house diamond ore blocks. But, players must have many Water Breathing potions and Night Vision potions in order to properly search for diamonds in the ocean.
3. Use TNT (Java Edition)
Blowing up larger chunks of land is a quick and easy way to get rid of ground and gather the housed resources. But, it will take quite a lot of resources and effort on the player’s part.
Players will need to kill many creepers for gunpowder and acquire tons of sand. This method will drop 100% of the items in the Java edition, but it is not a viable option for the Bedrock edition.
4. Branch Mining
Branch mining is safer and more reliable, but it consumes more tool-crafting resources. It also generates a ton of cobblestone, gravel, andesite, dirt, diorite, and granite, which can be viewed as a downside or a benefit.
Players should prepare the following items before getting started:
- 6 or more pickaxes (silk touch)
- Buckets (lava and water)
- full set of iron armor (enchanted if possible)
- 3 stacks of torches
- Iron sword
- Quality food
- Crafting table
- Shovel (dirt and gravel)
- Shield (to block skeleton arrows)
- Furnace
To create a diamond mine, get down to the diamond layers, depending on your Minecraft version. Besides following existing caves, players can also dig a vertical shaft, quarry, or staircase downwards to the diamond layers – as long as you don’t dig straight down beneath your character.
Most players prefer targeting level 11 since it puts the “lava flood” at the foot or floor level, which can be easier to manage. Deeper tunnels are likely to expose lava at head level or from above, which can mean instant death in many cases.
It’s likely for a mine to intersect several caves, which will likely contain several aggressive mobs. Since any cave located while mining for diamonds is naturally at the right level for diamonds, it’s a good idea to explore and light up the cave with torches before proceeding with the mining process.
Below is an example of how a simple branch mining system would look, thanks to IGN:
Once you reach the desired level, begin mining long, level hallways two blocks high and one block wide, continuing until a passage exposes a diamond ore blob. Sometimes, the player can find two or more diamond blobs intersecting together while branch mining.
There is still room for preference and customization here, as players can branch mine in different ways. Below is a good example of a branch mining pattern to follow for increased efficiency, created by Rock Paper Shotgun:
After finding the first diamonds and graduating to enchanting, craft one Fortune III pickaxe to multiply the diamonds mined in the future – even better, a Fortune III pickaxe with Mending as well. Keep it at home, however, or kept safe in a chest until it is needed.
5. Staircase System
The classic staircase system method can work well since players will never be mining straight down. By digging themselves down at a 45-degree angle leaving a staircase pattern behind them, players will have access to the depths both safely and efficiently, as seen below thanks to IGN.
Using a staircase system will enable you to cover a large area of the ground both on the X and Y-axis. Just make sure you’re targeting the correct layers on the Y-axis to ensure you get the highest exposure to diamond blobs while preventing your staircase from being flooded with lava.
6. Strip Mining Method
The Strip Mining method is quite a simple strategy for mining out a large area – great if you’re also planning to build an underground survival base. But, it is a lot more tedious than other methods and will leave you with a ton of additional resources like dirt and stone.
Simply head to the desired coordinates on the Y-axis and dig an outline of a box, leaving a cube of blocks at the center. Mine the blocks away to create a large open area. It’s a good way to cover a large surface area with a straightforward approach.
7. Abandoned Mineshafts and Villages (Chests)
Although this is not considered the meta for finding diamonds in Minecraft, you may be able to obtain some diamonds from chests – if you’re lucky enough to find them. Abandoned mineshafts and villages can house hidden chests with valuable loot, including diamond items.
The occurrence of these chests is rather rare, so players should not depend on them for diamond supply. But, it is a great and fun way to explore your Minecraft world and gain additional valuable items in the process.
8. Villager Trading (Diamond Tools)
Diamonds themselves are non-renewable, meaning players will not be able to source raw diamonds or diamond ore blocks from traders in Minecraft. However, they may be able to get their hands on some awesome diamond tools via villager trading, which can speed up the process of mining for diamonds on your own.
Below is an outline of which diamond tools players can obtain from various villager traders in Minecraft:
| Diamond Item | Villager Trader |
| Diamond Pickaxe | Toolsmith Villager |
| Diamond Sword | Weaponsmith Villager |
| Diamond Axe | Toolsmith and Weaponsmith Villagers |
| Diamond Shovel | Toolsmith Villager |
| Diamond Hoe | Toolsmith Villager |
While getting your hands on diamonds in Minecraft can feel frustrating and overwhelming, there are a few awesome ways to acquire this amazing resource in quicker and more practical ways. The best method for you will depend on numerous factors, such as your need for additional blocks and ores, how much resources and time you have to spare, and your love of exploration.