What is the purpose of Heart of the Sea in Minecraft

Some items have tons of uses in Minecraft. For example, a cobblestone block can be used in a few crafting recipes, such as a building block, or for decoration. Many blocks are multifaceted and versatile.

On the other hand, some blocks and items only have a single use. Nautilus shells are only used in one crafting recipe. Totems of Undying only do one thing.

Another single-use item is the Heart of the Sea. Many Minecraft players might not have even seen or used one before, given how rare it is. It is an unknown quantity for more than a few gamers, so here's what its purpose is.

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The purpose of Minecraft Heart of the Sea

The Heart of the Sea is only helpful for a single thing, but that one thing is precious. It's the main component of the crafting recipe for a conduit, allowing players to breathe and see underwater. It can also kill hostile mobs.

Without a Heart of the Sea, players will be unable to make a conduit. The second ingredient is a nautilus shell, of which eight are required. Fortunately, only one Heart of the Sea is needed.

To fulfill the Heart of the Sea's one purpose, Minecraft gamers must first find one. It's one of the most challenging items for players to get their hands on.

It does have a 100% spawn rate in the chest it can be found in, but those chests are among the hardest to find. Buried treasures will always have a Heart of the Sea, but finding one is a tall task.

Players will first need to find a treasure map or get very lucky and uncover a buried treasure through natural mining. These maps can be found in shipwrecks and underwater ruins.

Once crafters get to the "X" marked on the map, they can start digging. The X will likely be on a fully sandy spot on the map, making for easier digging.

Buried treasure (Image via Minecraft Wiki)

The X is pretty big, and the buried treasure is supposed to be on the X, though the map is small enough that knowing precisely what is and isn't "on the X" is a challenge.

Gamers can dig down and through all of the sand until they find the treasure. However, that might take a while. There is also a distinct possibility that the chest is underwater, adding a new layer of difficulty.

Once players find the chest, they can open it and collect their treasures, including the rare Heart of the Sea (100% spawn rate for both Bedrock and Java).