How did we manage to delve so deeply into the “Block of the Week” series without discussing a fundamental block like stone? This gray giant is one of the original blocks in Minecraft PE, introduced alongside dirt and wooden planks back in 2009, during the game’s early development stages. In fact, stone is as old as Minecraft itself, since prior to its current name, it was known as “Cave Game“, later evolving into “Minecraft: Order of the Stone“.
Stone is likely the most abundant natural block within the game, playing a crucial role in world generation in Minecraft PE. The seed that generates the world initially consists solely of various stone blocks, which are then “adorned” with grass, dirt, caves, ores, and other elements from Minecraft PE.
Anyone who has played Minecraft PE for even five minutes knows that mining stone with a pickaxe yields cobblestone. To obtain actual stone, you need to either use the “Silk Touch” enchantment or simply smelt cobblestone in a furnace to get what is sometimes referred to as “Smooth Stone”.
If you’re looking to gather a large amount of stone, creating a deep pit or a cobblestone generator using lava and water can be effective. However, exercise caution: while farming stone, there’s a high chance of encountering a silverfish, which can pose significant challenges to any player.
In the real world, stone is just as prevalent as in Minecraft Pocket Edition. This material makes up nearly all of the Earth’s surface. Our tectonic plates are composed of stone, and if you dig deep enough, you’ll soon hit solid rock.
Stone is made up of minerals, and different combinations of these minerals create various types of stone. One of the most common minerals found in stone is silica, consisting of silicon and oxygen, which accounts for about three-quarters of the Earth’s crust. Other varieties include calcite, quartz, and feldspar. Some of these are quite valuable, leading to their active extraction.
Humans have been utilizing stone for over 2.5 million years—hence the term “Stone Age.” Techniques for processing and quarrying stone have been employed for thousands of years, so the next time you craft a stone axe or sword, remember that you are continuing a long-standing tradition.
