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Amethyst is one of Minecraft's more recent additions, having arrived in the two-part Caves & Cliffs update. When fully-grown amethyst buds are broken, players can collect its shards for their own use.
As of Minecraft 1.19, amethyst shards can also be found as loot as well. But how does one locate these shards, and how are they used?
For newcomers or returning players, the answers may be unclear. Fortunately, locating amethyst shards is far from obscenely difficult, and players should be able to do so once they know where to look. One location is certainly safer than the other, but it's wise not to overlook either option.
Minecraft: Where to find amethyst shards and how to use them
When searching for amethyst shards as of Minecraft 1.19, players have two options: They can mine the it from an amethyst geode, or loot the shards from a chest from an Ancient City structure. Both are found underground, though it's possible for a player to spot a geode from the ground level on rare occasions.
Regardless, amethyst geodes are considered the safer option, as Ancient Cities are located in the Deep Dark biome, which is protected by the powerful Warden. Some may consider the risk of the Ancient City being worth the trouble, but ill-equipped players may prefer to stick to amethyst geodes.
Amethyst geodes in Minecraft are comprised of three layers: Smooth basalt on the exterior, then a layer of calcite, before finally featuring amethyst in the furthest interior. The amethyst in geodes is a mix of solid amethyst blocks as well as amethyst clusters or "buds" which grow over time. Only when a cluster is fully-grown can a player mine the cluster for amethyst shards.
But how do players find geodes? Simply put, geodes generate as part of the terrain. Aside from their height-level placement, there are no guaranteed locations to find a geode.
To find an amethyst geode, Minecraft players will want to search the underground layers between Y= -64 and Y= 30. Searching for smooth basalt blocks is a wise option, as the blackish stone blocks stand in stark contrast to most other blocks found underground.
Every chunk generated in-game has a 1/24 chance of generating a geode, which in-turn have a 95% chance of generating partially cracked, making the inner calcite and amethyst easier to see.
Geodes can also generate partially embedded in caves and mineshafts, so players shouldn't rule these locations out if they're geode hunting. Additionally, they can sometimes be seen underwater, so drinking a potion of night vision and searching the seas is a worthwhile endeavor as well.
Alternatively, players can search for loot chests within Ancient Cities to find amethyst shards. Loot is randomized each time a world is generated, meaning players won't definitively find amethyst shards in these chests.
According to metrics, the shards have a 23.2% chance to be found within Ancient City's chests in both Java and Bedrock Edition. There, they can be found in quantities from one to 15 shards. Ancient Cities are found squarely at height level Y= -51, making them a bit more difficult to locate compared to geodes.
Once found, Minecraft players have a few uses for amethyst shards as of version 1.19. Four of them can be crafted into a solid block of amethyst. Additionally, players can combine two copper ingots with a shard of amethyst to create a spyglass that will allow them to view faraway objects.
It's also possible to combine four shards with a block of glass to create tinted glass, which is capable of obscuring light from passing through it.
As of Minecraft version 1.19.1, it's also possible to use amethyst shards to duplicate the Allay mob. If a shard is given to an Allay while it is dancing near a jukebox that is playing music, it will use the item and create a new mob. Afterwards, players will have to wait for five minutes before the duplication can be performed again.
