In Minecraft, there exists a particular block that quickens your breath (no offense, gravel, but it’s definitely not you). This one block brings an overwhelming urge to shout with joy upon seeing it and immense disappointment when it falls into lava. Yes, you’ve guessed it (by reading the title), it’s the diamond ore!
The ultimate resource for completing the game, diamond ore is among the most valuable and elusive blocks in Minecraft PE. It can be found deep within the world of MCPE, below level Y-16, in veins ranging from one to ten blocks, which also yield experience points when mined. Each block drops one diamond, unless you have the fortune enchantment, in which case you might receive more than one. How lucky!
Diamonds were introduced to the game by Notch on January 29, 2010, in version Minecraft 0.31, making their age comparable to that of arrows, bowls, and crafting tables. Initially, diamonds were actually emeralds, but they were replaced by diamonds the very next day (emeralds were later reintroduced as a trading currency).
Here’s a fun fact: real diamonds and coal share similar chemical formulas, both composed of carbon. But before you start tossing coal around and shouting, “Look at all my diamonds!”, you should understand that physically, they are entirely different substances. The carbon atoms in diamonds are arranged in a rigid structure known as a crystal lattice, giving them exceptional strength and hardness. In contrast, the atoms in coal are arranged randomly, making it much less durable.
Now, I anticipate your question about how to transform one substance into another for quick wealth. Unfortunately, the answer is “with great difficulty.” You need to subject carbon to incredibly high temperatures located just 150 kilometers beneath the Earth’s crust. They then rise to the surface through volcanic activity. While this can be done in a lab, until recently, it was easier and cheaper to simply extract them from the ground. You’d probably find it simpler to paint your coal and sell it to unsuspecting people as diamonds (don’t do that).
Sadly, natural diamonds are even rarer in the real world than in Minecraft. There are only about 600 commercial diamond mines on Earth, with one of the most impressive being the “Mir” mine in Siberia (as seen in the photo above). This is an open-pit mine where miners did not dig underground; they simply excavated a massive hole. It is one of the largest holes in the world, reaching depths of over 600 meters. Hopefully, there’s no lava at the bottom.
So what’s the easiest way to find ore in Minecraft Pocket Edition? Here are three tips. First – mine at level Y-11. This depth is low enough to search for diamonds, yet not so deep that you risk encountering lava flows. Second – use iron tools. Yes, while stone tools are cheaper to craft in Minecraft Pocket Edition, they work much slower, and you’ll want to mine a lot of blocks.
The third and final tip is to employ a strategy that professional Minecraft players refer to as “branch mining.” Once you’re at the correct Y level, dig a long straight tunnel two blocks wide with torches every 12 blocks (to prevent mob spawning). When you get bored going in one direction, start digging a side tunnel about 20 blocks deep, then return to the main shaft and dig another branch at least three blocks back, repeating the process. Soon, if luck is on your side, you’ll have more diamonds in Minecraft than you could ever imagine. Good luck!
