Table of Contents
Where to Find Copper Ore
Copper ore generates underground between levels Y-16 and Y112, with the highest concentration around levels Y47-Y48. It can generate in all biomes and dimensions.
Some key things to know about finding copper ore:
- Look underground starting around layer Y48 and below
- Copper ore veins can spawn in blobs similar to iron
- Use stone, iron or diamond pickaxes to mine (not wood)
Mining Copper Ore
When you mine a copper ore block, it will drop raw copper which you can smelt into copper ingots. Here are some tips for efficiently mining copper ore:
Tools
- Use an iron or diamond pickaxe to increase mining speed
- Apply a Fortune enchantment to increase raw copper drops
- Use a Silk Touch enchantment to obtain the copper ore block directly
Techniques
- Mine out entire veins just like you would for iron or coal
- Look around lava pools and caves between Y47 and Y16
- Pay attention to granite and diorite, as copper often spawns nearby
Smelting Raw Copper
You’ll need to smelt the raw copper in a furnace or blast furnace to get copper ingots:
- Smelt raw copper one-to-one to get copper ingots
- Use a blast furnace to smelt faster than a regular furnace
Using Copper
Copper has some unique properties that make it useful for certain builds and items:
Oxidization
Exposed copper blocks will slowly oxidize from copper to green over time. You can wax copper with honeycomb to prevent this.
Lightning Rod
Combine 3 copper ingots and 1 pointed dripstone to craft a lightning rod which will divert lightning strikes.
Spyglass
The spyglass allows you to zoom at distant objects. Craft it with 2 copper ingots and 1 amethyst shard.
Decorative Blocks
Craft block of copper and cut copper for decorative blocks. Their oxidization can create some interesting builds.
Wiring
In the future, copper may be used for wiring redstone components instead of redstone dust.
Tips and Tricks
Here are some additional tips for working with copper:
- Use an axe to scrape off oxidation from blocks
- Combine with honeycomb again to unwax blocks
- Stairs, slabs, etc also oxidize over time
- You can craft lightning rods of different copper oxidation stages
- Deepslate copper ore takes longer to mine than normal copper
Conclusion
Copper is an abundant new ore in Minecraft that has opened up new decoration options with its unique oxidization mechanics. It also has some practical applications like crafting lightning rods and spyglasses. Look for copper underground starting around layer Y48, and apply Fortune when mining to increase your yields. Smelt it into ingots to start using copper in your builds and crafting recipes.
