Copper Ore

Copper ore is a mineral block found underground.

Deepslate copper ore is the deepslate variant of copper ore, usually found deeper underground.

Obtaining[]

Natural generation[]

Copper ore can be generated anywhere on the Overworld in the form of ore blobs. Copper ore generate in two batches, the first batch generate anywhere on the overworld biomes except dripstone caves 16 times per chunks in groups from 0 to 16, in layer -16 to 112, being most common in layers 47 and 48 and less common at the ends. The second batch generate only in dripstone caves 16 times per chunks in groups from 0 to 52, in layer -16 to 112, being most common in layers 47 and 48 and less common at the ends. Copper ore can replace stone, andesite, diorite, granite, tuff‌^{[JE only]}, and deepslate. Copper ore that replace tuff or deepslate become deepslate copper ore.

It can also spawn rare ore veins above Y=0, mixed with granite and the occasional raw copper blocks. In dripstone caves biomes, copper ore veins are larger on average.

Breaking[]

Copper ore must be mined with a stone pickaxe or higher, or else it drops nothing.

Breaking copper ore drops 2-5 raw copper, unless mined with a Silk Touch pickaxe. It is affected by Fortune enchantment, dropping up to 20 raw copper, or 7.7 raw copper on average with Fortune III.

Block	Copper Ore	Deepslate Copper Ore
Hardness	3	4.5
Tool
Breaking time^[A]
Default	15	22.5
Wooden	7.5	11.25
Stone	1.15	1.7
Iron	0.75	1.15
Diamond	0.6	0.85
Netherite	0.5	0.75
Golden	1.25	1.9

↑ Times are for unenchanted tools as wielded by players with no status effects, measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.

Usage[]

Copper ore is smelted to obtain copper ingots, which are crafting ingredients for copper blocks, spyglasses, and lightning rods. Copper ore does not weather like its block counterpart, though the ore itself shows some oxidization.

Smelting ingredients[]

Name	Ingredients	Smelting recipe
Copper Ingot	Copper Ore or Deepslate Copper Ore or Raw Copper + Any fuel	0.7

Sounds[]

Copper ore[]

Java Edition:

Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	`block.stone.break`	`subtitles.block.generic.break`	1.0	0.8	16
Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	`block.stone.place`	`subtitles.block.generic.place`	1.0	0.8	16
Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`block.stone.hit`	`subtitles.block.generic.hit`	0.25	0.5	16
None^{[sound 1]}	Entity-Dependent	Falling on the block with fall damage	`block.stone.fall`	None^{[sound 1]}	0.5	0.75	16
Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	`block.stone.step`	`subtitles.block.generic.footsteps`	0.15	1.0	16

↑ ^a ^b MC-177082

Bedrock Edition:

Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
Blocks	Once the block has broken	`dig.stone`	1.0	0.8-1.0
Blocks	When the block is placed	`dig.stone`	1.0	0.8-1.0
Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`hit.stone`	0.37	0.5
Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	`fall.stone`	0.4	1.0
Players	Walking on the block	`step.stone`	0.3	1.0
Players	Jumping from the block	`jump.stone`	0.12	1.0
Players	Falling on the block without fall damage	`land.stone`	0.22	1.0

Deepslate copper ore[]

Java Edition:

Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	`block.deepslate.break`	`subtitles.block.generic.break`	1.0	0.8	16
Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	`block.deepslate.place`	`subtitles.block.generic.place`	1.0	0.8	16
Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`block.deepslate.hit`	`subtitles.block.generic.hit`	0.25	0.5	16
None^{[sound 1]}	Entity-Dependent	Falling on the block with fall damage	`block.deepslate.fall`	None^{[sound 1]}	0.5	0.75	16
Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	`block.deepslate.step`	`subtitles.block.generic.footsteps`	0.15	1.0	16

↑ ^a ^b MC-177082

Bedrock Edition:

Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
Blocks	Once the block has broken	`dig.deepslate`	1.0	0.8-1.0
Blocks	When the block is placed	`place.deepslate`	1.0	0.8-1.0
Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`hit.deepslate`	0.3	0.5
Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	`fall.deepslate`	0.4	1.0
Players	Walking on the block	`step.deepslate`	0.3	1.0
Players	Jumping from the block	`jump.deepslate`	0.12	1.0
Players	Falling on the block without fall damage	`land.deepslate`	0.22	1.0

Data values[]

ID[]

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Block tags	Translation key
Copper Ore	`copper_ore`	Block & Item	`copper_ores` `mineable/pickaxe` `needs_stone_tool` `snaps_goat_horn`	`block.minecraft.copper_ore`
Deepslate Copper Ore	`deepslate_copper_ore`	Block & Item	`copper_ores` `mineable/pickaxe` `needs_stone_tool`	`block.minecraft.deepslate_copper_ore`

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID^{[i 1]}	Translation key
Copper Ore	`copper_ore`	`566`	Block & Giveable Item^{[i 2]}	Identical^{[i 3]}	`tile.copper_ore.name`
Deepslate Copper Ore	`deepslate_copper_ore`	`663`	Block & Giveable Item^{[i 2]}	Identical^{[i 3]}	`tile.deepslate_copper_ore.name`

↑ ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.
↑ ^a ^b Available with /give command.
↑ ^a ^b The block's direct item form has the same id as the block.

History[]

Java Edition
October 3, 2020		Copper ore is announced at Minecraft Live 2020.
1.17	20w45a	Added copper ore.
	20w45a	Copper ore generates evenly between levels 0 and 63, and has the same rarity as iron ore.
	21w06a	The height limit was expanded down to Y=-64. Copper ores are temporary generating from Y=-64 instead of Y=0.
	21w07a	Copper ore now generates as a triangle spread from levels 0 to 96.
	February 22, 2021	JAPPA shows updated copper ore texture.
	21w08a	The texture of copper ore has been changed.
	21w08a	Copper ore is now less common.
	21w10a	Added deepslate variant of copper ore.
		Added `copper_ores` block tag.
		Copper ore is now less common.
	21w13a	Now generates uniformly between levels 0 and 63 instead of generating with a triangle spread from 0 to 96. And increased its amount.
	21w14a	It now drops raw copper when broken without Silk Touch, instead of itself.
	21w15a	The texture of the deepslate copper ore has been changed.
	21w15a	Copper ore generation has been reverted back to the pre-21w13a generation, but the new generation can be re-enabled with the Caves & Cliffs Prototype Data Pack.
	21w17a	Copper and deepslate copper ore now drops 2-3 raw copper when mined or more when using a tool enchanted with Fortune.
	21w17a	Deepslate copper ore variant now generates naturally. Before, copper ore cannot replace tuff and deepslate upon generating.
	21w18a	Reduced copper spawning a bit to compensate for large ore veins, but only if the Caves & Cliffs Prototype Data Pack is applied to a world.
1.18	Experimental Snapshot 1	All previous changes to ore distribution from the prototype data pack have now been implemented into the base game.
	experimental snapshot 4	Bigger copper blobs can now generate in dripstone caves.
	21w38a	Now copper ore generates in triangle distributions. And increased the maximum Y-level for copper ore generation to Y=95.
	21w38a	Increased the amount of copper ore.
	21w40a	Copper ore now drops 2-5 raw copper when mined.
	21w40a	Copper ore now generates between Y=-16 and Y=112, generating the most at Y=48, and increased the number of ore blobs.
1.19	22w11a	Large copper ores can now generate in deep dark.
1.19.3	Pre-release 1	Large copper ores no longer generates in deep dark.^[1]
Bedrock Edition
1.16.210	beta 1.16.210.57	Added copper ore. The model has random rotation.
1.16.220	beta 1.16.220.50	Changed texture of copper ore.
1.16.220	beta 1.16.220.52	Copper ore can no longer be randomly rotated.
1.17.0	beta 1.16.230.52	Added deepslate variant of copper ore.
	beta 1.16.230.56	Increased the size of copper ore blob.
	beta 1.17.0.50	The texture of deepslate copper ore was changed to match Java Edition.
	beta 1.17.0.50	It now drops raw copper when broken without Silk Touch, instead of itself.
	beta 1.17.0.52	Copper ores are now available without Experimental Gameplay.
	beta 1.17.0.54	Copper and deepslate copper ore now drops 2-3 raw copper when mined or more when using a tool enchanted with Fortune.
1.17.30	beta 1.17.20.21	Reduced copper spawning a bit, but only if the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay is applied.
1.17.30	beta 1.17.20.21	Deepslate copper ore no longer generates, but only if the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay is applied.^[2]
1.17.40	beta 1.17.40.20	In the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay, bigger copper blobs are added, which are expected to generate in lush caves, but they generate in any other biome except lush caves. As a result, copper ore now do not generate in lush caves.
1.17.40	beta 1.17.40.21	In the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay, increased the maximum Y-level for copper ore generation to Y=95.
1.18.0	beta 1.18.10.20	Removed “Caves and Cliffs” experimental toggle. New copper ore generation are now available through normal gameplay.
		Now copper ore generates in triangle spreads.
		Increased the amount of copper ore.
		Extra copper ore blob is now expected to generate in dripstone caves instead of lush caves, but they now generate in both dripstone caves and lush caves.
	beta 1.18.0.21	Copper Ore now generates between Y=-15 and Y=111, generating the most at Y=48, and increased the number of ore blobs.
		Extra copper ore now generates in correct biome.
		Copper ore now drops 2-5 raw copper when mined.
	beta 1.18.0.22	Copper ore generation has now been tweaked to be in parity with Java Edition.
	beta 1.18.0.24	Deepslate copper ore now generates naturally in biomes except dripstone caves. Before, copper ore cannot replace deepslate upon generation.^[2]
1.18.10	beta 1.18.0.20	Deepslate copper ore now generates naturally in dripstone caves. Before, copper ore cannot replace deepslate in dripstone caves.^[2]
1.18.10	beta 1.18.0.22	Copper ore generation height has now been tweaked to be in parity with Java Edition.