All the uses of Amethyst shards in Minecraft

Minecraft is a sandbox game that allows players to explore, build and craft in a blocky world. One of the items that players can find and use in Minecraft is the amethyst shard, a purple crystal that can be obtained from mining amethyst clusters. Amethyst was added to Minecraft in the 1.17 Caves and Cliffs update, Part I.

This article will show you how to find, mine, and use amethyst in Minecraft. We will also explain the different stages of amethyst growth and how to farm amethyst efficiently. By the end of this article, you will be able to enjoy this new material and its benefits in your Minecraft world.

Everything to know about Amethyst shards in Minecraft

Amethyst is one of the most beautiful and rare materials in Minecraft. It has a deep purple color and a shiny appearance. Amethyst can be used to craft items such as spyglasses, which allow you to zoom in on distant objects, tinted glass, which blocks light but not vision, and amethyst blocks, which are decorative blocks that make a pleasant sound when walked on or mined. Amethyst can also be used to calibrate sculk sensors, which are upcoming blocks that can detect vibrations.

What are amethyst clusters, and how to find them?

Amethyst clusters are fully grown crystals that spawn on budding amethyst blocks inside amethyst geodes. Amethyst geodes are large spherical structures found underground between Y-level -64 and Y-level 30. They have three layers: smooth basalt, calcite, and amethyst.

Amethyst clusters can be found inside the caves (Image via Mojang)

To find an amethyst geode, players can either dig randomly or look for cracks in the smooth basalt layer that might reveal the glowing light of the amethyst inside. Amethyst clusters emit a chime sound when they are walked on or broken.

How to get amethyst shards from amethyst clusters?

Amethyst shards are dropped when players mine amethyst clusters with any tool or mechanism. However, the amount of shards dropped depends on the tool and enchantment used. A non-Silk Touch, non-Fortune pickaxe drops four shards, while any other tool or mechanism drops 2. The Fortune enchantment can increase the number of shards dropped, while the Silk Touch enchantment can collect the cluster itself.

Amethyst clusters are the final growth stage for amethyst buds, which are smaller crystals that grow on budding amethyst blocks. There are three stages of buds before they become clusters: small, medium, and large. Only the clusters drop shards, so players should wait for them to grow fully before mining them.

Three levels of amethyst buds (Image via Mojang)

What can players do with amethyst shards?

Amethyst shards can be used as a crafting ingredient for several items in Minecraft. Here are some of the uses of amethyst shards:

1) Block of Amethyst: A decorative block that can be crafted with four amethyst shards in a square pattern. It makes a pleasant sound when walked on or mined.

Crafting a block of amethyst (Image via Mojang)

2) Spyglass: This tool allows players to zoom in on distant objects and see them more clearly. It can be useful for exploring, scouting, or sniping. To craft a spyglass, you need two copper ingots and one amethyst shard placed in a diagonal line from the top left to the bottom right corner of the crafting grid.

Spyglass using copper ingots and amethyst (Image via Mojang)

3) Tinted Glass: This type of glass blocks light but not entities. It can be used to create dark rooms or secret passages without using torches or other light sources. To craft tinted glass, you need four glass blocks and one amethyst shard placed in a plus shape in the center of the crafting grid.

Tinted glass blocks the light and is useful for mob farms (Image via Mojang)

4) Calibrated Sculk Sensor: This block detects vibrations and emits a redstone signal. It can create traps, alarms, or wireless redstone circuits. To craft a calibrated sculk sensor, you need one sculk sensor and four amethyst shards placed in a cross shape around the sculk sensor in the crafting grid.

Calibrated sculk sensor in Minecraft 1.20 (Image via Mojang)

5) Trimmed Armor: In the new Minecraft 1.20 update, you can use amethyst to give purple trims to your armor using armor templates.

Use amethyst as a color for armor templates in Minecraft 1.20 (Image via Mojang)

6) Allay Duplication: This is a way to create more allays in Minecraft, which are friendly mobs that collect items for players. They can be tamed with golden apples and given commands with music discs. To duplicate an allay, you need to give it an amethyst shard while it is dancing to a jukebox. The allay will consume the shard and produce another allay of the same color. There is a 5-minute cooldown between each duplication.

How to farm amethyst efficiently?

Amethyst farming is the process of harvesting amethyst clusters from geodes in an automated or semi-automated way. There are different methods and designs for amethyst farms, but they generally involve these steps:

Find an amethyst geode and clear out the space around it.
Build a platform or enclosure around the budding amethyst blocks to prevent them from growing outside.
Place pistons or dispensers with shears or hoppers above or below the budding amethyst blocks to break or collect the clusters when they grow.
Connect the pistons or dispensers with redstone circuits and timers or observers to activate them periodically or when a cluster grows.
Collect the shards from chests or hoppers.