5 things you can do with amethyst in Minecraft 1.18

Amethyst is a relatively new addition to Minecraft that arrived with the Caves & Cliffs update. It can be found in clusters and blocks within underground geodes.

When amethyst clusters are broken by a pickaxe in Minecraft, amethyst shards may drop. These shards can be used in a few crafting recipes. The amethyst clusters, buds, and blocks themselves also have some uses.

There are a few uses of amethyst that Minecraft players may already be aware of. However, it never hurts to take a look at some of these uses for posterity.

Note: This article solely reflects the opinions of the writer.

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Interesting uses of amethyst in Minecraft version 1.18

5) Lighting

Amethyst buds and clusters give off light levels of their own (Image via Mojang)

Amethyst in Minecraft goes through multiple stages as it grows from a small bud to a cluster. As the bud grows, so does the light level it emanates.

Players will notice that a fully-grown amethyst cluster gives off a light level of five. If players carefully cultivate amethyst clusters with a Silk Touch-enchanted tool, they can somewhat light an entire area.

Amethyst won't provide the same light level as a lantern or a block of glowstone, but they make for an unconventional light source if needed.

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4) Base Defense

Amethyst blocks make their own distinct sound effects (Image via Yeppiidev/Youtube)

Players may have noticed this while walking in a geode, but amethyst blocks have their own sound effects in Minecraft. This happens when a block is walked on or when a projectile strikes the block.

A few amethyst blocks can be placed around a player's base to give audio cues as to where an intruder is. The intruder can be a hostile mob or an unfriendly player. Most entities will trigger the sound effect when walking across the amethyst blocks.

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3) Decoration

A geode-styled Nether portal decorated with amethyst blocks (Image via u/AwkwardOxfordComma/Reddit)

Amethyst blocks have a gorgeous purple hue with a shimmer, making them an excellent block for decoration in Minecraft.

Whether players are aiming for a fantasy stylization or a modern or even high-tech design, amethyst blocks fit the bill. The purple color also goes very nicely with Nether portals, somewhat expanding decoration opportunities for players.

What players do with amethyst blocks is up to them, but experimenting with decoration isn't a bad idea.

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2) Crafting Tinted Glass

A tinted glass window for an axolotl aquarium (Image via Mojang)

By combining four amethyst shards and one glass block in Minecraft, players can create two blocks of tinted glass. This particular glass is special because it can block light from passing through it, something ordinary glass and stained glass blocks can't do.

Tinted glass is still visually transparent. This allows players to see through the block while keeping the light levels on opposite sides from changing.

Tinted glass also drops itself when broken, which is uncharacteristic of glass blocks. When most glass blocks are broken, they simply shatter and cannot be collected. This makes tinted glass a very intriguing option for building and decoration.

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1) Crafting Spyglasses

Spyglasses allow players to view objects in the distance (Image via Mojang)

Although Minecraft players using aids like Optifine can zoom their vision in by default, players on the vanilla build of the game have another alternative.

Enter the spyglass, which is crafted with one amethyst shard and two copper ingots. This little item allows players to view faraway blocks and objects, though it is somewhat constrained by the player's render and simulation distance.

Regardless, the spyglass can be a very helpful tool for scoping out potential building sites or spotting resources. The item does somewhat obscure the player's field of vision, but the effect only lasts for as long as the player looks through it.