How to get diamonds in Minecraft (April 2021)

Every Minecraft player's main objective is to get shelter and diamonds.

Players have been mining for diamonds since the early days of Minecraft. They are one of the original items in the game and are necessary for Nether and End travel.

Older players may have lots of experience getting diamonds, but newer players may not know where to start. This is a guide that will help new and old players in their hunt for the shiny blue items in Minecraft.

Where to find diamonds in Minecraft

Minecraft diamonds (Image via gta5-mods)

Diamonds naturally generate between Y level 4 and 16 in the Overworld. They spawn most commonly around Y level 11.

Players should be careful of Y level 10 and under because lava commonly spawns there. This means players have to mine into the underground for quite a while before they reach this elusive ore.

Caves

One of the best places to find Minecraft diamonds is in caves. Caves naturally generate in Minecraft's underground and are large openings in the earth. This is great for finding diamonds, as the items often spawn at the lower Y levels.

Without caves, players must dig up blocks by hand. Caves allow players to move freely through the underground and spot ores instead of digging around the Y levels aimlessly.

Lucky Chests

Diamonds in a chest (Image via minecraft-diamond-king.blogspot.com)

If players are extremely lucky, they may be able to find diamonds in the overworld in a village or a Nether ruins chest.

Players with certain mods may also have an easier time finding a chest with diamonds in it.

Mining Techniques

Diamond pickaxe Minecraft (Image via unboxedreviews.com)

If players haven't had any luck in nearby caves or villages, there are a number of mining techniques that they can use to find diamonds.

Strip Mining

Strip mining is one of the simplest and most common mining techniques that players use in Minecraft.

To strip-mine, players should pick a direction and mine in a straight line until they've collected enough diamonds to satisfy their needs.

Adjacent Strip Mining

Minecraft players can also try adjacent strip mining. This is where players create two strip mines in the same direction a few blocks away from each other.

Most players choose anywhere from three to six blocks apart so that they do to not miss any ores in between.

Branching

Branching is another strip mine-oriented mining technique. This is where players create a single strip mine and mines to their left and right about five blocks out. Players should continue this mining pattern every few blocks.

Diagonal Mining

This is the last type of useful mining technique, where the player creates a diagonal line instead of a straight one.

The player can choose any direction and start mining in a diagonal pattern. This mining pattern is supposedly the best for finding diamonds.

Finding the diamonds

Single Diamond (Image via getwallpapers)

Once the player has found the diamonds, they should be sure to have at least an iron pickaxe to mine the diamond ore.

If the player uses anything below an iron pickaxe, the diamonds will not drop.

Also read: How to use diamonds effectively in Minecraft