An ore vein is a rare underground terrain feature that provides massive amounts of ore.
Structure[]
A fully exposed copper ore vein
Ore veins occur as large branching networks of rock with high concentrations of associated ore. Copper veins are largely made of granite associated with copper ore and raw copper. Iron veins are tuff associated with iron ore and raw iron.
Ore veins can snake and branch and eventually dead-end, similar to spaghetti caves in their shape and scale. Where they intersect caves, the player can easily spot them in the floors, walls, and ceilings. In some cases, more than 2,000 of a particular ore can be found in a single vein.[more information needed]
Generation[]
Ore distribution graph for 1.18
Ore veins are rare but huge. Copper veins occur above Y=0, and iron veins occur below Y=0. They are overridden by caves and mineshafts.
Technically, ore veins are a part of cave generation and are not decorators. As a result, they can generate in The Void biome.
History[]
| Java Edition | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.17 | March 12, 2021 | Agnes Larsson talks about "New really big ore veins we are going to add". | |||
| 21w16a | Added ore veins, which must be enabled using the Caves & Cliffs Prototype Data Pack. | ||||
| April 21, 2021 | Henrik Kniberg showcases ore vein generation. | ||||
| April 22, 2021 | Kniberg mentions tweaks to ore vein generation: the veins are now more smaller and more clumped. | ||||
| April 22, 2021 | Kniberg mentions tweaking generation to make the gaps between clumps smaller. | ||||
| 21w17a | Ore veins are now slightly rarer, slightly smaller, more clumpy, and can rarely contain raw metal blocks. | ||||
| 21w18a | Ore veins were once again made slightly rarer and slightly smaller on average. Their sizes now vary significantly, meaning players can still find huge ore veins like in previous snapshots as well as smaller ones. | ||||
| Raw metal blocks now generate more frequently within ore veins. | |||||
| 1.18 | Experimental Snapshot 1 | Ore veins can now be found in the base game, and no longer have to be enabled with a data pack. | |||
| experimental snapshot 2 | Ore veins are now slightly larger and spawn more frequently. | ||||
| Bedrock Edition | |||||
| Caves & Cliffs (experimental) | beta 1.17.30.23 | Added ore veins behind the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay toggle. | |||
| beta 1.17.40.20 | Ore veins are now slightly larger and spawn more frequently. | ||||
| 1.18.0 | beta 1.18.0.20 | Ore veins can now be found by default, and no longer have to be enabled with experimental gameplay toggle. | |||
Gallery[]
An exposed iron ore vein in a cave.
Copper vein with a raw copper block.
A copper vein exposed on the seabed.
Exposed copper vein.
Exposed iron vein.
Copper ore vein found exposed of surface.
An iron vein.
A copper vein.
