Redstone Ore

Redstone ore is the ore block from which redstone is obtained.

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

Obtaining[]

Natural generation[]

Redstone ore can generate in the Overworld in the form of ore blobs. Redstone ore generates in two batches per chunk. The first batch attempts to generate 4 times per chunk, in blobs of 0–10, evenly from levels -64 to 15. The second batch attempts to generate 8 times per chunk, in blobs of 0–10, from levels -63 to -32, being more common the lower the elevation. Redstone ore can replace stone, andesite, diorite, granite, polished andesite‌‌^{[BE only]}, tuff‌^{[JE only]}, and deepslate. Any redstone ore that replaces tuff or deepslate becomes deepslate redstone ore.

Breaking[]

Redstone ore must be mined with an iron pickaxe or higher to drop redstone dust. When mined, it drops 4–5 redstone dust. It is affected by the Fortune enchantment, dropping 4-6, 4-7, or 4-8 redstone respectively with Fortune I, II, and III (averaging at 6 redstone dust with Fortune level 3^[1]^[2]). If mined with Silk Touch, it drops itself instead of redstone dust.

Block	Redstone Ore	Deepslate Redstone Ore
Hardness	3	4.5
Tool
Breaking time^[A]
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

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

Usage[]

Light[]

Redstone ore produces the light level of 9 and emits bright red powered redstone particle when clicked, updated, or contacted by almost any entity (among some of the exceptions are a sneaking player, fired arrows, fired fire charges, shulkers, shulker bullets, and the ender dragon). This effect continues until the redstone ore block receives a random block tick (averaging 68.27 seconds). This effect does not actually produce redstone power, but the block changes can be detected with an observer or a block update detector.

Subsequent clickings on a redstone ore block causes it to emit an extra burst of particles per click.

Smelting ingredient[]

Name	Ingredients	Smelting recipe
Redstone Dust	Redstone Ore or Deepslate Redstone Ore + Any fuel	0.7

Note Blocks[]

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

Sounds[]

Redstone 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 redstone 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[]

Redstone Ore lit — A redstone ore that glows and emits particles in the dark.

ID[]

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Block tags	Translation key
Redstone Ore	`redstone_ore`	Block & Item	`redstone_ores` `mineable/pickaxe` `needs_iron_tool`	`block.minecraft.redstone_ore`
Deepslate Redstone Ore	`deepslate_redstone_ore`	Block & Item	`redstone_ores` `mineable/pickaxe` `needs_iron_tool`	`block.minecraft.deepslate_redstone_ore`

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID^{[i 1]}	Translation key
Redstone Ore	`redstone_ore`	`73`	Block & Giveable Item^{[i 2]}	Identical^{[i 3]}	`tile.redstone_ore.name`
Lit Redstone Ore	`lit_redstone_ore`	`74`	Block & Ungiveable Item^{[i 4]}	Identical^{[i 3]}	—
Deepslate Redstone Ore	`deepslate_redstone_ore`	`658`	Block & Giveable Item^{[i 2]}	Identical^{[i 3]}	`tile.deepslate_redstone_ore.name`
Lit Deepslate Redstone Ore	`lit_deepslate_redstone_ore`	`659`	Block & Ungiveable Item^{[i 4]}	Identical^{[i 3]}	—

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

Block states[]

Java Edition:

Name	Default value	Allowed values	Description
lit	`false`	`false` `true`	If the redstone ore is lit.

Video[]

History[]

Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.1					Added redstone ore in Seecret Friday Update 3.
v1.0.1					The mining time of redstone ore takes far longer compared to other ores (4.5 seconds with iron pickaxe).
v1.0.2_01					Lit redstone ore now emits red dust particles.
July 7, 2010					Redstone ore now has a name (previously all redstone-related blocks had no official name).
Java Edition
1.0.0		Beta 1.9 Prerelease 6			The mining time of redstone ore has been significantly reduced - it now has the same mining time as other ores.
1.3.1		12w22a			Mining redstone ore, along with other ores, now gives the player experience orbs. One stack of redstone ore gives roughly 10 levels of experience.
1.13		17w47a			The different block IDs for the redstone ore have been merged into 1 ID.
					A lit block state has been added to redstone ore.
					Prior to The Flattening, these blocks' numeral IDs were 73 and 74.
Texture Update		January 4, 2018			A new texture for redstone ore has been proposed.
1.14		18w43a			The texture of redstone ore has been changed.
1.17		21w06a			The height limit was expanded down to Y=-64. Redstone ores are temporary generating from Y=-64 instead of Y=0.
		21w07a			The texture of redstone ore has been changed.
		21w07a			Redstone ore now attempts to generate evenly between an altitude of Y=15 and Y=-64.^[3]
		February 17, 2021			Henrik Kniberg shows grimstone variant of redstone ore.
		February 18, 2021			JAPPA shows new texture grimstone variant of redstone ore.
		February 22, 2021			JAPPA shows updated redstone ore and grimstone variant of redstone ore.
		21w08a			Added deepslate redstone ore.
					The texture of redstone ore has been changed again.
					Added `redstone_ores` block tag.
		21w08b			Redstone ore now attempts to generate twice: once, evenly between an altitude of Y=15 and Y=-64; and as a triangle spread, peaking at an altitude of -64 and generating below an altitude of Y=-32.^[3]
		21w10a			The texture of deepslate redstone ore has been changed.
		21w10a			Decreased the amount of redstone ore blobs.
		21w15a			All the changes to redstone ore generation in the previous 1.17 snapshots have been reverted, but they can be re-enabled with the Caves & Cliffs Prototype Data Pack.
1.18		Experimental Snapshot 1			Redstone ore once again generates the way it did in the 1.17 snapshots without the use of a data pack.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.1.0					Added redstone ore.
v0.4.0					Redstone ore added to creative mode.
v0.8.0		build 1			Redstone ore now drops redstone when mined.
v0.12.1		build 1			Redstone ore can now be obtained if mined with a pickaxe enchanted with Silk Touch.
v0.13.0		build 1			Redstone ore now emits light and red particles when walked on.
Bedrock Edition
1.10.0		beta 1.10.0.3			The texture of redstone ore has been changed.
1.16.220		beta 1.16.220.50			The texture of redstone ore has been changed.
1.17.0		beta 1.16.230.52			Added deepslate redstone ore behind the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay.
		beta 1.16.230.56			In the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay, redstone ore now attempts to generate twice: once, evenly between an altitude of Y=15 and Y=-64; and as a triangle spread, generating from Y=31 to Y=-31.
		beta 1.17.0.52			Now deepslate redstone ore generates without the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay.
1.18.0		beta 1.18.0.20			Removed “Caves and Cliffs” experimental toggle. New redstone ore generation are now available through normal gameplay.
		beta 1.18.0.20			Redstone ore generation height has now been tweaked.
		beta 1.18.0.22			Redstone ore generation height has now been tweaked to be in parity with Java Edition.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1	CU1	1.0	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added redstone ore.
		1.90			The texture of redstone ore has been changed.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0					Added redstone ore.

Lit redstone ore "item"[]

The following content is transcluded from Technical blocks/Lit Redstone Ore.

This section is missing information about Pick Block functionality.

Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.

Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.1		Lit redstone ore has an unobtainable item form corresponding to its block ID. It can be obtained via inventory editors with numeric item ID 74.
Java Edition Beta
1.6	Test Build 3	Lit redstone ore items can be obtained from the newly added debug chests, mainly from the 16th slot of the 3rd chest from the left, and the 27th slot of the 5th chest from the left.
1.6	release	Debug chests no longer spawn, preventing lit redstone ore items from being obtained this way.
Java Edition
1.0.0	Beta 1.9 Prerelease 4	Lit redstone ore can be obtained with the Silk Touch enchantment by breaking a block with an appropriate tool enchanted with it.
1.0.0	Beta 1.9 Prerelease 5	Lit redstone ore can no longer be obtained via Silk Touch.
1.3.1	12w16a	Lit redstone ore can now be obtained as an item in singleplayer worlds via the `/give` command using the respective numeric ID.
1.7.2	13w37a	The direct item form of lit redstone ore has been removed from the game. It can no longer exist as an item in any way, only as a placed block.
Pocket Edition Alpha
?		Lit redstone ore exists as an item.

Appearances[]

Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.1		The lit redstone ore item uses this model in inventories, when held in first person view or as a dropped item.
?		The lit redstone ore item uses the aforementioned model when held in third person.
Java Edition Beta
1.6	Test Build 3	The lit redstone ore item now uses this model in inventories, when held in first or third person view or as a dropped item.
1.6	Test Build 3	This is a result of all 3D items having changed in this version to be brighter and rotated 90 degrees clockwise from their prior appearances.
1.8	Pre-release	The lit redstone ore item now uses this model in inventories, when held in first or third person view or as a dropped item.
		This is a result of all 3D items having changed in this version to be even brighter than previously.
		Cakes, among other irregular 3D items, no longer appear much larger than other blocks as dropped items.
Java Edition
1.0.0	RC2	The lit redstone ore item now uses this model in inventories, when held in first or third person view or as a dropped item.
1.0.0	RC2	This is a result of all 3D items having changed in this version to be more shaded again.
1.3.1	12w22a	The lit redstone ore item now uses this model in inventories, when held in first or third person view or as a dropped item.
1.3.1	12w22a	This is a result of all 3D items being rotated 90 degrees anticlockwise from their prior appearances.
1.4.2	12w34a	The lit redstone ore item now uses this model in inventories, when held in first or third person view, as a dropped item or when in an item frame.
1.4.2	12w34a	This is a result of all 3D items being brightened to a miniscule degree.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.1.0		Interestingly, lit redstone ore has a distinct defined item sprite in `gui_blocks.png`, despite being unobtainable normally.
v0.2.0		Lit redstone ore no longer has an item sprite.

Names[]

Java Edition

Item names did not exist prior to Beta 1.0.

Beta 1.0 - 13w36b: Redstone Ore

Issues[]

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

Gallery[]

Lots of ore.
A blob of redstone ore next to some lava.
Multiple natural blobs of redstone in to the cave.
Redstone ore in a mine.
4 blocks of redstone ore.
Naturally generated diamond and redstone ores in a cave.
Deepslate redstone ore and Gold Ore, as seen in 21w08b.
Multiple ores, found in the new big cave.
The new texture of redstone ore, seen in beta 1.16.220.50 next to the lava.
Naturally generated diamond ore, redstone ore and lapis lazuli ore found in a ravine.