Emerald Ore

For other emerald-related objects found in Minecraft, see Emerald (Disambiguation).

Emerald Ore is one of the rarest blocks in Minecraft. It first appeared in snapshot 12w21a and was finally added in the 1.3.1 update. Emerald uses a different texture model than the other ores.

Source

Emerald ore can be found extremely rarely in two-block veins, but usually appears as small, single-block ores. Emerald ore is about 30 times rarer than Diamonds, mostly because they are only available in Extreme Hills biome. It drops one emerald when mined, and is affected by fortune enchantments. Emerald ore can only be found in some chunks in Mountains Biomes, in layers 4 through 32.

Mining

Emerald Ore requires an iron pickaxe or better to harvest; otherwise it will drop nothing.

Tool
Hardness	3
Breaking time[note 1]
Default	15
Wood	7.5
Stone	3.75
Iron	0.75
Diamond	0.6
Netherite	0.5
Gold	1.25

1. ↑ Times are for unenchanted tools in seconds.

Trivia

• One cavern network underground in a world will probably hold about 5 emerald ore blocks each, but separately; it is rare to find emerald ore in veins.
  • Emerald ore is rarer than emeralds because players can trade with Villagers to get emeralds.
• Ruby ore was replaced by emerald ore in 12w21a, but the latter was still colored red.
  • This was changed to green as of snapshot 12w21b.
• The fact that emerald ore can be found in the extreme hills biome is a possible reference to the area "Emerald Hill Zone" in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
• Emeralds were in early versions of Pocket Edition but were removed for having no use. They were implemented again in 0.9.0.
• Emerald ore is the rarest ore in Minecraft due to only being found in one biome type.

Gallery

Blocks
Natural	Air • Stone • Granite • Andesite • Diorite • Bedrock • Clay ( Terracotta) • Cobblestone ( Moss) • Cobweb • Dirt • Gravel • Coarse Dirt • Bone • Ice ( Packed • Blue) • Spawner • Sand ( Red) • Sandstone ( Red) • Obsidian ( Crying) • Snow • Sponge • Wet Sponge • Stone Bricks ( Cracked • Mossy • Chiseled) • Prismarine ( Dark • Brick) • Sea Lantern • Pumpkin • Bee Nest • Grass Path • Infested Block • Snowier Snow </td> </tr>
Manufactured	Bookshelf • Bricks • Wool ( Carpet) • Concrete( Powder) • Conduit • Dried Kelp Block • Fence • Glass ( Pane) • Stained Glass ( Pane) • Glazed Terracotta • Hay Bale • Iron Bars • Jack o' Lantern • Ladder • Painting • Scaffolding • Slab • Smooth Stone • Cut Sandstone • Smooth Quartz • Smooth Red Sandstone • Slime • Snow • Stairs • Walls • Wood Planks • Wood • Beehive • Honey Block • Honeycomb Block • Polished Diorite • Polished Granite • Polished Andesite • Red Nether Brick • Quartz Bricks • Polished Blackstone </td> </tr>
Ore	Coal Ore • Diamond Ore • Emerald Ore • Gold Ore ( Nether) • Iron Ore • Lapis Lazuli Ore • Redstone Ore • Ruby Ore • Nether Quartz Ore • Ancient Debris </td> </tr>
Mineral Blocks	Block of Diamond • Block of Emerald • Block of Gold • Block of Iron • Lapis Lazuli Block • Block of Quartz • Block of Redstone • Block of Coal • Block of Netherite • Block of Ruby </td> </tr>
Utility	Bed • Brewing Stand • Cake • Cauldron • Chest • Shulker Box • Crafting Table • Enchantment Table • Furnace • Jukebox • TNT • Anvil • Blast Furnace • Barrel • Bell • Campfire • Cartography Table • Composter • Fletching Table • Grindstone • Lantern • Lectern • Loom • Smithing Table • Smoker • Stonecutter • Target • Respawn Anchor • Lodestone </td> </tr>
Redstone/Travel	Button • Dispenser • Redstone Lamp • Door • Fence Gate • Lever • Note Block • Piston ( Sticky) • Pressure Plate • Rail ( Powered • Detector • Activator) • Redstone ( Wire • Torch • Repeater • Comparator) • Trapdoor ( Iron Trapdoor) • Trapped Chest • Hopper • Dropper • Daylight Detector • Tripwire Hook • Observer • Redstone Ore • Block of Redstone </td> </tr>
Plants	Cactus • Dead Bush • Chorus Plant • Flowers • Wither Rose • Grass( Grass • Fern) • Leaves • Lily Pad • Melon • Mushrooms( Huge)  • Mycelium • Podzol • Nylium • Pumpkin • Saplings • Sugar Cane • Vines • Cocoa Pods • Wheat • Log • Corals • Kelp • Sweet Berry Bush • Nether Roots • Fungus • Weeping Vines • Twisting Vines Sea Pickle </td> </tr>
Liquids	Lava • Water </td> </tr>
Non-Solid	Fire ( Soul Fire) • Sign • Torch ( Soul) • Banner </td> </tr>
The Nether	Glowstone • Shroomlight • Netherrack • Nylium • Nether Brick ( Cracked • Chiseled • Fence) • Nether Quartz • Nether Gold • Ancient Debris • Nether Wart • Nether Roots • Weeping Vines • Twisting Vines • Fungus • Soul Sand • Soul Soil • Basalt • Magma Block • Blackstone </td> </tr>
The End	Dragon Egg • End Stone • Purpur( Pillar) • Endstone Brick • End Rod • Dragon Head • Ender Crystal </td> </tr>
Creative only	Barrier • Structure Block • Jigsaw • Command Block ( Repeating • Chain) </td> </tr>
Bedrock Edition only	Stonecutter (old) • Nether Reactor • Light Block • Glowing Obsidian </td> </tr>
Unused	Locked Chest </td> </tr>
Removed	Cog • Dirt Slab • Cyan Flower • Camera(BE) • Wax Block </td> </tr>
Unimplemented	Crying Obsidian (old) • Wax Block </td> </tr>
Education Edition only	Element Constructor • Material Reducer • Compound Creator • Hardened Glass • Border • Underwater TNT </td> </tr> </table> </div>