List of all ores and their uses in Minecraft

Minecraft simply wouldn't be the game it is without ores, the blocks that provide players with materials they can use to craft tons of different items and blocks.

As of Minecraft's 1.17 Caves & Cliffs update, there are 11 total ore types found in both the Overworld and the Nether. Each ore provides a different material, and these materials have a wide range of uses for Minecraft players to take advantage of.

Newer players or those who may have taken some time away from the game may not be aware of all the current uses of Minecraft's ores, but a quick examination can take care of that quite easily.

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Minecraft: Each ore's materials and their uses

Minecraft's Caves & Cliffs update introduced new ore types like Copper and also updated existing ore textures (Image via Mojang)

In addition to their materials having different uses, Minecraft ores are also located in different areas. Most can be found underground, but others appear in the Nether or on the surface of the Overworld.

Different pickaxes are also required to mine particular ores, which players should keep in mind, so they don't lose potential resources or break their tools.

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Minecraft players can find information on each ore and the uses for their raw materials below:

Coal

Drops coal as a resource.
Requires a wooden pickaxe or stronger for the ore to drop coal.
Coal is used as a fuel for furnaces.
Coal is additionally used as a crafting component for blocks of coal, campfires, fire charges, torches, and soul torches.
The ore is colored black.

Copper

Drops raw copper as a resource.
Requires a stone pickaxe or stronger to harvest.
Raw copper and the ore block itself can be smelted by a furnace into copper ingots.
Copper ingots can be crafted into copper blocks, lightning rods, and Spyglasses.
The ore is colored a combination of orange and green.

Lapis Lazuli

Drops Lapis Lazuli when harvested.
Requires a stone pickaxe or stronger to harvest.
Lapis Lazuli can be crafted into Lapis Lazuli blocks, blue dye, and banner patterns/images. In Minecraft: Bedrock and Education editions, Lapis Lazuli can also be used in the creation of blue balloons, blue beds, blue carpets, blue concrete powder, blue firework stars, blue glow sticks, blue shulker boxes, blue stained glass, blue terracotta, blue wool, cyan dye, light blue dye, magenta dye, and purple dye. Lapis Lazuli can also be used in Minecraft: Bedrock Edition to dye the collars of tamed wolves and cats.
Lapis Lazuli is a central component to use in enchanting on an enchanting table.
As expected, Lapis Lazuli ore takes on a deep blue color.

Iron

Drops raw iron when harvested.
Requires a stone pickaxe or stronger to be harvested.
Raw iron can be formed into blocks of raw iron or smelted into iron ingots.
Iron ingots are used as a crafting component for blocks of iron, rail systems, anvils, blast furnaces, buckets, cauldrons, chains, compasses, crossbows, flint and steel, pressure plates, hoppers, trapdoors, iron bars, iron doors, iron nuggets, minecarts, pistons, shears, shields, stonecutters, tripwire hooks, iron armor (helmet, chestplate, boots, leggings) and tools/weapons (pickaxes, axes, swords, hoes, shovels)
Iron ingots can also be used to heal iron golems, select powers from beacons, and repair damaged iron gear.
Iron ore in Minecraft is a light tan/beige color.

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Gold

Drops raw gold when harvested.
Raw gold can be formed into blocks of raw gold or be smelted in a furnace to create gold ingots.
Requires an iron pickaxe or stronger to harvest
Gold ingots are used in part to craft blocks of gold, clocks, gold nuggets, golden apples, pressure plates, Netherite ingots, powered rails, golden tools/weapons and armor.
Gold ingots can also be used to repair golden tools, weapons and armor.
Gold ingots, like iron, can select the power of a beacon.
Gold ingots are also used to barter with Piglins, who will give Minecraft players items in exchange for the ingots.
Gold ore is yellow-orange in color.

Most ores can be found underground, especially at lower levels descending toward bedrock (Image via Mojang)

Redstone

Drops redstone dust when harvested.
Requires an iron pickaxe or stronger to harvest.
Redstone dust is used as wiring in redstone in machinery.
Redstone dust is also a crafting component in redstone blocks, clocks, compasses, detector rails, dispensers, droppers, note blocks, observers, pistons, powered rails, redstone lamps, redstone repeaters, redstone torches, and targets.
Redstone dust is also used as a brewing component to create Mundane Potions or increase the duration of a potion's effects.
Redstone ore, as the name implies, is a red color in Minecraft.

Diamond

Drops diamonds when harvested.
Requires an iron pickaxe or stronger to harvest.
Diamonds are used as a crafting component in blocks of diamond, diamond tools/weapons and armor, enchanting tables, firework stars, and jukeboxes.
Diamonds can be used to repair diamond tools, weapons, and armor.
Diamond can be used on a beacon to select its powers.

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Emerald

Drops Emeralds when harvested.
Requires an iron pickaxe or stronger to harvest.
Emeralds are primarily used to trade with Minecraft villagers.
Emeralds can be crafted into blocks of Emerald.
Emeralds, like many other precious materials, can be used to select a beacon's powers.
Emerald ore is green in color.

Nether Quartz

Drops Nether Quartz when harvested.
Requires a wooden pickaxe or stronger to harvest.
Nether Quartz is a crafting component in daylight detectors, quartz blocks, diorite and granite blocks, observers, and redstone comparators.
Nether Quartz ore is off-white in color.

Nether Gold

Drops gold nuggets when harvested.
Requires a wooden pickaxe or stronger to harvest.
Gold nuggets can be used as short-term fuel in furnaces.
Gold nuggets are a crafting component for firework stars, glistering melon slices, gold ingots, and golden carrots.
Nether Gold ore is roughly the same yellow-orange color of standard gold ore.

Ancient Debris

Drops a block of Ancient Debris when harvested.
Requires a diamond or Netherite pickaxe to harvest.
Ancient Debris blocks can be smelted in a furnace to create Netherite scrap.
Netherite scrap is used as a crafting component to create Netherite ingots.
Netherite ingots can be used to craft Netherite blocks and Lodestones.
When paired with a diamond weapon, tool, or piece of armor on an anvil, Minecraft players can create Netherite versions of those items.
Netherite ingots can be used to repair Netherite tools, weapons, and armor.