This article is about the ore. For the item, see Copper Ingot. For the mineral block, see Block of Copper.
Copper ore is a mineral block found underground.
Deepslate copper ore is the deepslate variant of copper ore, usually found deeper underground.
Obtaining[]
Natural generation[]
See also: Ore (feature)
Copper ore can be generated anywhere on the Overworld in the form of ore blobs. Copper ore generate in two batches, the first batch generate anywhere on the overworld biomes except dripstone caves 16 times per chunks in groups from 0 to 16, in layer -16 to 112, being most common in layers 47 and 48 and less common at the ends. The second batch generate only in dripstone caves 16 times per chunks in groups from 0 to 52, in layer -16 to 112, being most common in layers 47 and 48 and less common at the ends. Copper ore can replace stone, andesite, diorite, granite, tuff[JE only], and deepslate. Copper ore that replace tuff or deepslate become deepslate copper ore.
It can also spawn rare ore veins above Y=0, mixed with granite and the occasional raw copper blocks. In dripstone caves biomes, copper ore veins are larger on average.
Breaking[]
Copper ore must be mined with a stone pickaxe or higher, or else it drops nothing.
Breaking copper ore drops 2-5 raw copper, unless mined with a Silk Touch pickaxe. It is affected by Fortune enchantment, dropping up to 20 raw copper, or 7.7 raw copper on average with Fortune III.
| Block | Copper Ore | Deepslate Copper Ore | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 3 | 4.5 | |
| Tool | |||
| Breaking time[A] | |||
| Default | 15 | 22.5 | |
| Wooden | 7.5 | 11.25 | |
| Stone | 1.15 | 1.7 | |
| Iron | 0.75 | 1.15 | |
| Diamond | 0.6 | 0.85 | |
| Netherite | 0.5 | 0.75 | |
| Golden | 1.25 | 1.9 | |
- ↑ Times are for unenchanted tools as wielded by players with no status effects, measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.
Usage[]
Copper ore is smelted to obtain copper ingots, which are crafting ingredients for copper blocks, spyglasses, and lightning rods. Copper ore does not weather like its block counterpart, though the ore itself shows some oxidization.
Smelting ingredients[]
| Name | Ingredients | Smelting recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Copper Ingot | Copper Ore or Deepslate Copper Ore or Raw Copper + Any fuel |
Sounds[]
Copper ore[]
| Sound | Subtitles | Source | Description | Resource location | Translation key | Volume | Pitch | Attenuation distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block broken | Blocks | Once the block has broken | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | 16 | |
| Block placed | Blocks | When the block is placed | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | 16 | |
| Block breaking | Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | block | subtitles | 0.25 | 0.5 | 16 | |
| None[sound 1] | Entity-Dependent | Falling on the block with fall damage | block | None[sound 1] | 0.5 | 0.75 | 16 | |
| Footsteps | Entity-Dependent | Walking on the block | block | subtitles | 0.15 | 1.0 | 16 |
| Sound | Source | Description | Resource location | Volume | Pitch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blocks | Once the block has broken | dig | 1.0 | 0.8-1.0 | |
| Blocks | When the block is placed | dig | 1.0 | 0.8-1.0 | |
| Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | hit | 0.37 | 0.5 | |
| Players | Falling on the block with fall damage | fall | 0.4 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Walking on the block | step | 0.3 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Jumping from the block | jump | 0.12 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Falling on the block without fall damage | land | 0.22 | 1.0 |
Deepslate copper ore[]
| Sound | Subtitles | Source | Description | Resource location | Translation key | Volume | Pitch | Attenuation distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block broken | Blocks | Once the block has broken | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | 16 | |
| Block placed | Blocks | When the block is placed | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | 16 | |
| Block breaking | Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | block | subtitles | 0.25 | 0.5 | 16 | |
| None[sound 1] | Entity-Dependent | Falling on the block with fall damage | block | None[sound 1] | 0.5 | 0.75 | 16 | |
| Footsteps | Entity-Dependent | Walking on the block | block | subtitles | 0.15 | 1.0 | 16 |
| Sound | Source | Description | Resource location | Volume | Pitch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blocks | Once the block has broken | dig | 1.0 | 0.8-1.0 | |
| Blocks | When the block is placed | place | 1.0 | 0.8-1.0 | |
| Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | hit | 0.3 | 0.5 | |
| Players | Falling on the block with fall damage | fall | 0.4 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Walking on the block | step | 0.3 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Jumping from the block | jump | 0.12 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Falling on the block without fall damage | land | 0.22 | 1.0 |
Data values[]
ID[]
| Name | Identifier | Form | Block tags | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Ore | copper_ore | Block & Item | copper_ores mineable/pickaxe needs_stone_tool snaps_goat_horn | block.minecraft.copper_ore |
| Deepslate Copper Ore | deepslate_copper_ore | Block & Item | copper_ores mineable/pickaxe needs_stone_tool | block.minecraft.deepslate_copper_ore |
| Name | Identifier | Numeric ID | Form | Item ID[i 1] | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Ore | copper_ore | 566 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] | tile.copper_ore.name |
| Deepslate Copper Ore | deepslate_copper_ore | 663 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] | tile.deepslate_copper_ore.name |
History[]
| October 3, 2020 |  Copper ore is announced at Minecraft Live 2020. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Java Edition | |||||
| 1.17 | 20w45a |  Added copper ore.
| |||
| Copper ore generates evenly between levels 0 and 63, and has the same rarity as iron ore. | |||||
| 21w06a | The height limit was expanded down to Y=-64. Copper ores are temporary generating from Y=-64 instead of Y=0. | ||||
| 21w07a | Copper ore now generates as a triangle spread from levels 0 to 96. | ||||
| February 22, 2021 |  JAPPA shows updated copper ore texture. | ||||
| 21w08a |  The texture of copper ore has been changed.
| ||||
| Copper ore is now less common. | |||||
| 21w10a |  Added deepslate variant of copper ore.
| ||||
Added copper_ores block tag. | |||||
| Copper ore is now less common. | |||||
| 21w13a | Now generates uniformly between levels 0 and 63 instead of generating with a triangle spread from 0 to 96. And increased its amount. | ||||
| 21w14a | It now drops raw copper when broken without Silk Touch, instead of itself. | ||||
| 21w15a |  The texture of the deepslate copper ore has been changed.
| ||||
| Copper ore generation has been reverted back to the pre-21w13a generation, but the new generation can be re-enabled with the Caves & Cliffs Prototype Data Pack. | |||||
| 21w17a | Copper and deepslate copper ore now drops 2-3 raw copper when mined or more when using a tool enchanted with Fortune. | ||||
| Deepslate copper ore variant now generates naturally. Before, copper ore cannot replace tuff and deepslate upon generating. | |||||
| 21w18a | Reduced copper spawning a bit to compensate for large ore veins, but only if the Caves & Cliffs Prototype Data Pack is applied to a world. | ||||
| 1.18 | Experimental Snapshot 1 | All previous changes to ore distribution from the prototype data pack have now been implemented into the base game. | |||
| experimental snapshot 4 | Bigger copper blobs can now generate in dripstone caves. | ||||
| 21w38a | Now copper ore generates in triangle distributions. And increased the maximum Y-level for copper ore generation to Y=95. | ||||
| Increased the amount of copper ore. | |||||
| 21w40a | Copper ore now drops 2-5 raw copper when mined. | ||||
| Copper ore now generates between Y=-16 and Y=112, generating the most at Y=48, and increased the number of ore blobs. | |||||
| 1.19 | 22w11a | Large copper ores can now generate in deep dark. | |||
| 1.19.3 | Pre-release 1 | Large copper ores no longer generates in deep dark.[1] | |||
| Bedrock Edition | |||||
| 1.16.210 | beta 1.16.210.57 |    Added copper ore. The model has random rotation. | |||
| 1.16.220 | beta 1.16.220.50 |    Changed texture of copper ore. | |||
| beta 1.16.220.52 | Copper ore can no longer be randomly rotated. | ||||
| 1.17.0 | beta 1.16.230.52 | Added deepslate variant of copper ore. | |||
| beta 1.16.230.56 | Increased the size of copper ore blob. | ||||
| beta 1.17.0.50 | The texture of deepslate copper ore was changed to match Java Edition.
| ||||
| It now drops raw copper when broken without Silk Touch, instead of itself. | |||||
| beta 1.17.0.52 | Copper ores are now available without Experimental Gameplay. | ||||
| beta 1.17.0.54 | Copper and deepslate copper ore now drops 2-3 raw copper when mined or more when using a tool enchanted with Fortune. | ||||
| 1.17.30 | beta 1.17.20.21 | Reduced copper spawning a bit, but only if the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay is applied. | |||
| Deepslate copper ore no longer generates, but only if the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay is applied.[2] | |||||
| 1.17.40 | beta 1.17.40.20 | In the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay, bigger copper blobs are added, which are expected to generate in lush caves, but they generate in any other biome except lush caves. As a result, copper ore now do not generate in lush caves. | |||
| beta 1.17.40.21 | In the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay, increased the maximum Y-level for copper ore generation to Y=95. | ||||
| 1.18.0 | beta 1.18.10.20 | Removed “Caves and Cliffs” experimental toggle. New copper ore generation are now available through normal gameplay. | |||
| Now copper ore generates in triangle spreads. | |||||
| Increased the amount of copper ore. | |||||
| Extra copper ore blob is now expected to generate in dripstone caves instead of lush caves, but they now generate in both dripstone caves and lush caves. | |||||
| beta 1.18.0.21 | Copper Ore now generates between Y=-15 and Y=111, generating the most at Y=48, and increased the number of ore blobs. | ||||
| Extra copper ore now generates in correct biome. | |||||
| Copper ore now drops 2-5 raw copper when mined. | |||||
| beta 1.18.0.22 | Copper ore generation has now been tweaked to be in parity with Java Edition. | ||||
| beta 1.18.0.24 | Deepslate copper ore now generates naturally in biomes except dripstone caves. Before, copper ore cannot replace deepslate upon generation.[2] | ||||
| 1.18.10 | beta 1.18.0.20 | Deepslate copper ore now generates naturally in dripstone caves. Before, copper ore cannot replace deepslate in dripstone caves.[2] | |||
| beta 1.18.0.22 | Copper ore generation height has now been tweaked to be in parity with Java Edition. | ||||
Issues[]
Issues relating to "Copper Ore" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.
Gallery[]
Coal and copper ores in a mountains biome.
Deepslate copper ore in a ravine.
External Links[]
- Block of the Week: Copper Ore – Minecraft.net on May 27, 2021