Easiest way to get amethyst shards in Minecraft 1.18

Amethyst shards are a relatively new inclusion in Minecraft, but they already have quite a few uses of note.

Finding an amethyst geode can be a tricky proposition in Minecraft, but they generate regardless of whether players have enabled structures during generation or not. Geodes are typically found between levels Y=-64 and Y=30 and have a 1/24 chance of appearing in each generated chunk.

Sometimes they can even pop up on the surface of a world, especially on beaches and oceans, but this is considerably rare. Regardless, there are a few ways to simplify the search for an amethyst geode.

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Minecraft: Ways to easily find amethyst geodes

Amethyst geodes can typically appear in ocean biomes (Image via Mojang)

There are a few different methods that Minecraft players can utilize to find geodes somewhat quickly. Of the three methods, two are particularly helpful when one has access to potions of night vision.

Regardless, each method is considerably helpful compared to simply mining through the subterranean layers of a player's world and hoping to strike one by accident. However, there's one particular thing players should be aware of when searching for geodes: The age of their world seed.

If Minecraft players are enjoying a world seed that was created before the 1.17 Caves & Cliffs update, they'll need to head to a new chunk in order to find geodes, as the chunks they've already frequented won't generate them.

However, if the player is exploring on a seed that was made after 1.17, they shouldn't have any issues and can find geodes in chunks throughout their world. This is important to keep in mind, as some of the tactics for geode searching may be less effective if players are on a pre-1.17 world.

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Exploring caves

One of the simplest tactics to find geodes in Minecraft 1.18 is to explore caves until players find the dark gray smooth basalt blocks, which form the outer shell of a geode. These blocks can then be easily broken with a pickaxe, and a player can enter the geode properly and mine its amethyst for shards.

It's also possible to use the boat x-ray glitch. However, players should be as deep as possible (while staying in the height level range where geodes appear) while using the glitch to expand their vision. Using a potion of night vision should allow the player to see much of the underground caves and geodes in a clearer context.

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Scouring the ocean

Aside from exploring caves and using the x-ray glitch, Minecraft players can also hop on a boat and search in nearby ocean biomes. If they have a potion of night vision, this is made substantially easier, as players are capable of seeing right through the surface of the ocean's water.

One can then find geodes generated under the ocean surface and dive down to mine them at will.

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