Redstone Ore

For other redstone-related objects found in Minecraft, see Redstone (disambiguation).

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Redstone Ore is a type of ore that is found 16 or fewer levels above bedrock. It drops redstone when mined, and it can be crafted into redstone-related mechanisms. If it is hit with anything or walked on, it will begin to glow and will light a small area.

Mining

Redstone 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

• It can be smelted to give one Redstone dust; however, this is inefficient as it requires Silk Touch, yields very little XP, and will not give more than one Redstone per ore.
• When added to the game, all Redstone-related blocks had no official name. In 1.0.4, July 9, 2010, the name Redstone was given by Notch after demands from the community.
• One may only obtain Redstone Ore as a block through Silk Touch enchanted tools, cheats/hacks, or creative mode.
  • It is best to mine the Redstone Ore instead of using Silk Touch because when smelting it, it gives only one piece of Redstone, but when mined directly, it drops 1-4 pieces.
• Lit Redstone Ore is defined as a separate block in the source code.
• For beginner Minecraft players, Redstone Ore might be mistaken for Rubies.
• There is a glitch that, when dug with a Silk Touch pick, a redstone ore is obtained that is unstackable. Placing it and destroying it with Silk Touch again fixes that glitch.
• Redstone can essentially be determined to represent the real-life element copper, but contains a more red hue in Minecraft than it is in real life. It also has a powdery texture. However, both objects take the same basic function: conducting power.
• Redstone ore can be mined using an iron pickaxe or better. It cannot be mined with a wooden or stone pickaxe. Although it can be destroyed by them, it will not yield anything.
• Redstone is used to make many items that cannot be made with other materials because it is a good conductor of electricity. A useful thing to make on survival mode would be a compass and/or map, as it can be used to venture from a player's home and can help players easily find their way back.
• If a player touches redstone ore, it will glow.
• When hooked up to a BUD switch, it makes a useful pressure plate, in a similar way to String.
• It will still glow if the ore is under carpet.

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 • Snow • Sponge • Wet Sponge • Stone Bricks ( Cracked • Mossy • Chiseled) • Prismarine ( Dark • Brick) • Sea Lantern • Pumpkin • Bee Nest • Grass Path • Infested Block • Snowier Snow
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
Ore	Coal Ore • Diamond Ore • Emerald Ore • Gold Ore ( Nether) • Iron Ore • Lapis Lazuli Ore • Redstone Ore • Ruby Ore • Nether Quartz Ore • Ancient Debris
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
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
Trading/Bartering only	Crying Obsidian
Redstone/Travel	Button • Dispenser • Redstone Lamp • Door • Fence Gate • Lever • Note • 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
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
Liquids	Lava • Water
Non-Solid	Fire ( Soul Fire) • Sign • Torch ( Soul Fire) • Banner
The Nether	Glowstone • Shroomlight • Netherrack • Nylium • Nether Brick ( Fence) • Nether Quartz • Nether Gold • Ancient Debris • Nether Wart • Nether Roots • Weeping Vines • Twisting Vines • Fungus • Soul Sand • Soul Soil • Basalt • Magma Block
The End	Dragon Egg • End Stone • Purpur( Purpur Pillar) • Endstone Brick • End Rod • Dragon Head • Ender Crystal
Creative only	Barrier • Structure Block • Jigsaw • Command Block ( Repeating • Chain)
Bedrock Edition only	Stonecutter (old) • Nether Reactor • Light Block • Glowing Obsidian
Technical	Piston Arm • Block 36 • Burning Furnace • Glowing Redstone Ore • Off-state Redstone Torch • Active Redstone Repeater • Flowing Water • Flowing Lava • Farmland • Pumpkin Stem • Melon Stem • Block 97 • Portal • End Portal Frame • End Portal • End Gateway (block) • Missing Texture Block
Unused	Locked Chest
Removed	Cog • Dirt Slab • Cyan Flower • Camera(BE) • Wax Block
Unimplemented	Crying Obsidian (old) • Wax Block
Education Edition only	Element Constructor • Compound Creator • Hardened Glass • Border • Underwater TNT