Diamond Ore

Diamond Ore

Renewable	No
Stackable	Yes (64)
Tool
Blast resistance	3
Hardness	Diamond Ore: 3 Deepslate Diamond Ore: 4.5
Luminant	No
Transparent	No
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No

This article is about the ore. For the item, see Diamond. For the mineral block, see Block of Diamond.

Diamond ore is a rare ore that generates deep underground, and is the only reliable source of diamonds.

Deepslate diamond ore is a variant of diamond ore that can generate in deepslate and tuff blobs.

Obtaining

Natural generation

For diamond ore distribution, see Ore § Overworld.

Blob of diamond ore.

Diamond ore can generate in the Overworld in the form of blobs. Diamond ore attempts to generate 1 time per chunk in blobs of 0-10 ore, in layers 1 to 16 in all biomes. If multiple blobs spawn directly adjacent, it is possible to have a "singular blob" with more than 10 diamond ore. On average they generate 3.7 ores per chunk.^[verify] Diamond ore can replace stone, granite, diorite, andesite, tuff, and deepslate. Diamond ore that replaces tuff or deepslate will become deepslate diamond ore.

‌In Java Edition 1.18 and Bedrock Edition 1.18.0‌^[upcoming], diamond ore attempts to generate in two batches. The first batch generates 6 times per chunk in blobs of 0-5 ores, from Y=14 to Y=-63, being more common as the y-level decreases. The second batch generates in ¹⁄₉ chunks in blobs of 0-23 ores, from Y=14 to Y=-63, being more common as the y-level decreases. Diamond ore is also less likely to be exposed to air: 50% of ore blobs^[verify] from the first batch and 70% from the second batch will not generate. Diamond ore can replace stone, granite, diorite, andesite, tuff, and deepslate. Diamond ore that replaces tuff or deepslate will become deepslate diamond ore. Diamond ore generating under Y=0^{[only upcoming Java Edition 1.18]} or in a deepslate blob^{[only upcoming Bedrock Edition 1.18.0]} will be replaced by its deepslate variant.

Breaking

The diamond ore block itself (rather than its diamond drops) can be obtained by mining it with an iron, diamond or netherite pickaxe with the Silk Touch enchantment. When mined without Silk Touch, diamond ore drops a single diamond. The maximum amount of diamonds dropped can be increased with Fortune. Fortune I gives a ¹⁄₃ chance for 2 diamonds, averaging 1.33 diamonds, Fortune II gives a 25% chance (each) to give 2 or 3 diamonds, averaging 1.75 diamonds, and Fortune III gives a 20% chance (each) to give 2, 3, or 4 diamonds, averaging 2.2 diamonds.

Block	Diamond Ore	Deepslate Diamond Ore
Hardness	3	4.5
Tool
Breaking time
Default	15	22.5
Wooden	7.5	11.25
Stone	3.75	5.65
Iron	0.75	1.15
Diamond	0.6	0.85
Netherite	0.5	0.75
Golden	1.25	1.9

Usage

Smelting ingredient

Name	Ingredients	Smelting recipe
Diamond	Diamond Ore or Deepslate Diamond Ore + Any fuel	1

Note Blocks

Diamond ore can be placed under note blocks to produce "bass drum" sounds.

Sounds

Diamond Ore

Java Edition:

Sound	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
	None	Blocks	Falling on the block with fall damage	block.stone.fall	None	0.5	0.75	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
	Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	block.stone.place	subtitles.block.generic.place	1.0	0.8	16
	Footsteps	Blocks	Walking on the block	block.stone.step	subtitles.block.generic.footsteps	0.15	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

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

Deepslate Diamond Ore

Java Edition:

Sound	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	?	?	?
	None	Blocks	Falling on the block with fall damage	block.deepslate.fall	None	?	?	?
	Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	block.deepslate.hit	subtitles.block.generic.hit	?	?	?
	Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	block.deepslate.place	subtitles.block.generic.place	?	?	?
	Footsteps	Blocks	Walking on the block	block.deepslate.step	subtitles.block.generic.footsteps	?	?	?

Bedrock Edition:^{[more information needed]}

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Resource location	Block tags (JE)	Form	Translation key
Diamond Ore	diamond_ore	diamond_ores mineable/pickaxe needs_iron_tool	Block & Item	block.minecraft.diamond_ore
Deepslate Diamond Ore	deepslate_diamond_ore	diamond_ores mineable/pickaxe needs_iron_tool	Block & Item	block.minecraft.deepslate_diamond_ore

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Resource location	Numeric ID	Form	Translation key
Diamond Ore	diamond_ore	56	Block & Item	tile.diamond_ore.name
Deepslate Diamond Ore	deepslate_diamond_ore	660	Block & Item	tile.deepslate_diamond_ore.name

History

Java Edition Indev
0.31		20100128			Added diamond ore. Initially, it was referred to as "emerald ore."
		20100130			Emerald ore from the previous version is now referred to as diamond ore.
		20100201-2			The drop rate of diamonds has been reduced to 1 per ore mined (down from 1-3).
Java Edition Infdev
20100227-1					Diamond ore no longer generates.
20100320					Diamond ore blobs now generate, but differently.
20100325					Ore blobs now appear more like they do today.
20100327					Diamond ore now regenerates after the world is reloaded, assuming that the positions of the ore blocks were replaced by stone.
20100330					Diamond ore no longer regenerates.
Java Edition Beta
1.6		Test Build 3			Before this update, diamond was about 50% rarer in the north-east quadrant of the point (0,0) compared to the quadrant to the south-west. In this update, clay blocks are now more rare than diamond due to a glitch.
1.8		Pre-release			Diamond ore has now become about 25% rarer.
Java Edition
1.0.0		Beta 1.9 Prerelease 4			Diamond ore can now be collected with Silk Touch, dropping the block itself.
					Diamond ore now drops extra diamonds with the Fortune enchantment.
1.3.1		12w22a			Mining diamond ore now drops experience orbs.
1.13		17w47a			Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 56.
Texture Update		?			A new texture for diamond ore has been proposed.
1.14		18w43a			The texture of diamond ore has been changed.
		19w08a			The texture of diamond ore has been changed, once again.
1.17		21w07a			The texture of diamond ore has been changed.
					Diamond ore now generates as a spread, generating below Y=16 and peaking at Y=-64.
		February 17, 2021			Henrik Kniberg shows a grimstone variant of diamond ore, its texture made by JAPPA.
		February 18, 2021			JAPPA shows a new texture for the grimstone variant of diamond ore.
		February 22, 2021			JAPPA shows updated grimstone variant of diamond ore.
		21w08a			Added the deepslate diamond ore.
					Added diamond_ores block tag.
					If a diamond ore blob is exposed to air, it has a 50% chance of not generating.
		March 2, 2021			JAPPA shows updated diamond ore texture.
		March 4, 2021			JAPPA shows updated deepslate variant of diamond ore texture.
		21w10a			Tweaked the diamond ore textures.
					Deepslate diamond ore now generates instead of coal ore on fossils that generate below Y=0.
					Diamond ore blobs are now smaller but slightly more frequent, making diamond ore overall less common.
		21w13a			Larger diamond ore blobs sometimes form.
		21w15a			All the changes to diamond ore generation in the previous 1.17 snapshots have been reverted, but they can be re-enabled with the Caves & Cliffs Prototype Data Pack.
Upcoming Java Edition
1.18		Experimental Snapshot 1			Diamond ore once again generates the way it did in the 1.17 snapshots without the use of a data pack.
		21w40a			Increased the amount of unexposed diamond ore.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.1.0					Added diamond ore.
v0.3.2					Diamond ore is now obtainable.
v0.12.1		build 1			Mining diamond ore now drops experience orbs.
					Diamond ore can now be collected with Silk Touch, dropping the block itself.
					Diamond ore now drop extra diamonds with the Fortune enchantment.
Bedrock Edition
1.10.0		beta 1.10.0.3			The texture of diamond ore has been changed.
1.11.0		beta 1.11.0.5			The texture of diamond ore has been changed, once again.
1.16.220		beta 1.16.220.50			The texture of diamond ore has been changed.
1.17.0		beta 1.16.230.52			Added deepslate diamond ore.
		beta 1.16.230.54			Diamond ore texture was updated.
		?			Diamond ore generation was unintentionally made twice as rare.
1.17.2					Diamond ore once again generates in the expected amounts.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1	CU1	1.0	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added diamond ore.
		1.90			The texture of diamond ore has been changed.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0					Added diamond ore.

Issues

Issues relating to "Diamond Ore" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia

• In some blob formations, ores connect diagonally.
• After the Caves & Cliffs update, diamond ore is the only type of Overworld ore that largely keeps the classic ore texture, with only some minor tweaks to coloration.

Gallery

• 

  An exposed blob containing 8 diamond ores.

• 

  An exposed blob containing 10 diamond ores.

• 

  Naturally generated diamond and redstone ores in a cave.

• 

  Multiple ores, found in the new big cave.

• 

  Naturally generated diamond ore, Redstone Ore and Lapis Lazuli Ore found in a Canyon.

Miscellaneous

• 

  A chart of the diamond ore distribution in 135,704,866 blocks.

See also

• Block of Diamond
• Diamond
• Tutorials/Diamonds