7 best Minecraft mining tips and tricks to find rare ores

Mining is a huge part of progression in Minecraft, as one can surely gather just from the game's name. However, the ores located deep underground aren't always easy to find.

While common ores like coal or raw iron are easy enough to come by, discovering materials like diamonds or redstone ore requires a different approach. Simply mining in a basic fashion might yield a few rare ores, but having the right tips and knowledge can lead to greater gains overall.

There are numerous tips that Minecraft players can follow when they are on the hunt for rare ores, but some of them are particularly effective and worth highlighting.

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Tips to remember when hunting for rare ores in Minecraft

1) Know the ore distribution

Each time a Minecraft world is generated, ores are placed within specific height level ranges. As a result, ores are concentrated and appear more often at certain height levels as players tunnel underground. For example, diamond ore's frequency increases the deeper a player digs downward. Meanwhile, gold ore appears most often around the height level Y= -16, which sits roughly at the center of its total generation range.

Before players start mining away, it's not a bad idea to check to see where ores generate in the highest amounts. Fortunately, once you know this information, you can check your coordinates and travel to the necessary height accordingly.

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2) Keep an eye out for special terrain

Simply digging down into the underground of a Minecraft world can certainly yield plenty of rare ores. However, sometimes the world generates in a way that can give quick access to quality ores without you wearing out your pickaxe and shovel.

Specifically, the game can generate caves and ravines, many of which can reach considerably deep into the ground. This can result in rare ores being available just by exploring caves and ravines, saving plenty of time branch mining and reducing pickaxe durability.

The world's seed decides where terrain features like these are placed, so players can set themselves up nicely by using a seed with deep-running ravines and caves.

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3) Know your mining methods

There are various mining techniques in Minecraft, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Depending on factors such as location, available tools, and personal preference, rare ores can be found at different rates of success and frequency.

Some of the most popular methods include branch mining, shaft mining, and quarry mining. It's important for you to be familiar with each method, as you never know when one technique might be more suitable than another for your current task.

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4) Pick your enchantments wisely

Minecraft players can find and collect plenty of ores with standard pickaxes, but things get interesting once the right enchantments are involved. By using enchantments like Efficiency, you can rapidly increase your mining speed and cut down on the time needed to find precious ores.

Then, with an enchantment like Fortune, you can receive even more material drops from breaking an ore block than usual. To keep your pickaxe from breaking easily, you may want to give enchantments like Mending or Unbreaking a shot as well.

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5) Potions of night vision are a huge help

When it comes to mining, you should not underestimate the value of using potions of Night Vision. After consumption, these potions provide an even greater level of visibility, making it easier to spot valuable resources that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Most Minecraft players will be surprised how many times they miss out on rare ores simply by not seeing them in the dark. If you use potions of Night Vision strategically, you can greatly increase your mining efficiency and success.

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6) Utilize x-ray glitches

While X-ray glitches may not be everyone's cup of tea in Minecraft, they are permitted in the game and can be incredibly helpful. These glitches allow you to see through solid blocks, and when combined with a potion of Night Vision, can reveal ore veins and generated structures underground at significant distances.

Although X-ray glitches vary between versions of the game, they provide roughly the same results. If you are having a rough time finding ores or veins of ores, a well-placed X-ray glitch can change everything.

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7) When in doubt, use TNT

Using a pickaxe and a shovel to clear out excess blocks works perfectly fine for mining in Minecraft. However, sometimes players need to speed up the process and find rare ores as soon as they can. This is why the use of TNT is so incredibly helpful while mining. By detonating these blocks, players can expand the number of blocks they're viewing at a time well past what is typically possible by mining block by block. Use enough TNT, and players can blow massive holes underground that can yield a ton of rare ore even when the TNT isn't placed strategically.

Minecraft players using TNT to mine should use caution, though. Not only can detonations hurt the player, but depending on where the TNT is set off, unexpected water and lava flows might emerge nearby.