Redstone ore is the ore block from which redstone is obtained.
Deepslate redstone ore is a variant of redstone ore that can generate in deepslate and tuff blobs.
Obtaining[]
Natural generation[]
Redstone ore can generate in the Overworld in the form of ore blobs. Redstone ore generates in two batches per chunk. The first batch attempts to generate 4 times per chunk, in blobs of 0–10, evenly from levels -64 to 15. The second batch attempts to generate 8 times per chunk, in blobs of 0–10, from levels -63 to -32, being more common the lower the elevation. Redstone ore can replace stone, andesite, diorite, granite, polished andesite[BE only], tuff[JE only], and deepslate. Any redstone ore that replaces tuff or deepslate becomes deepslate redstone ore.
Breaking[]
Redstone ore must be mined with an iron pickaxe or higher to drop redstone dust. When mined, it drops 4–5 redstone dust. It is affected by the Fortune enchantment, dropping 4-6, 4-7, or 4-8 redstone respectively with Fortune I, II, and III (averaging at 6 redstone dust with Fortune level 3[1][2]). If mined with Silk Touch, it drops itself instead of redstone dust.
Block | Redstone Ore | Deepslate Redstone Ore | |
---|---|---|---|
Hardness | 3 | 4.5 | |
Tool | |||
Breaking time[A] | |||
Default | 15 | 22.5 | |
Wooden | 7.5 | 11.25 | |
Stone | 3.75 | 5.65 | |
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[]
Light[]
Redstone ore produces the light level of 9 and emits bright red powered redstone particle when clicked, updated, or contacted by almost any entity (among some of the exceptions are a sneaking player, fired arrows, fired fire charges, shulkers, shulker bullets, and the ender dragon). This effect continues until the redstone ore block receives a random block tick (averaging 68.27 seconds). This effect does not actually produce redstone power, but the block changes can be detected with an observer or a block update detector.
Subsequent clickings on a redstone ore block causes it to emit an extra burst of particles per click.
Smelting ingredient[]
Name | Ingredients | Smelting recipe |
---|---|---|
Redstone Dust | Redstone Ore or Deepslate Redstone Ore + Any fuel |
Note Blocks[]
Redstone ore can be placed under note blocks to produce "bass drum" sounds.
Sounds[]
Redstone 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 redstone 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[]

A redstone ore that glows and emits particles in the dark.
ID[]
Name | Identifier | Form | Block tags | Translation key |
---|---|---|---|---|
Redstone Ore | redstone_ore | Block & Item | redstone_ores mineable/pickaxe needs_iron_tool | block.minecraft.redstone_ore |
Deepslate Redstone Ore | deepslate_redstone_ore | Block & Item | redstone_ores mineable/pickaxe needs_iron_tool | block.minecraft.deepslate_redstone_ore |
Name | Identifier | Numeric ID | Form | Item ID[i 1] | Translation key |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Redstone Ore | redstone_ore | 73 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] | tile.redstone_ore.name |
Lit Redstone Ore | lit_redstone_ore | 74 | Block & Ungiveable Item[i 4] | Identical[i 3] | — |
Deepslate Redstone Ore | deepslate_redstone_ore | 658 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] | tile.deepslate_redstone_ore.name |
Lit Deepslate Redstone Ore | lit_deepslate_redstone_ore | 659 | Block & Ungiveable Item[i 4] | Identical[i 3] | — |
Block states[]
Name | Default value | Allowed values | Description |
---|---|---|---|
lit | false | false true | If the redstone ore is lit. |
Video[]
History[]
Java Edition Alpha | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
v1.0.1 | ![]() | ||||
The mining time of redstone ore takes far longer compared to other ores (4.5 seconds with iron pickaxe). | |||||
v1.0.2_01 | Lit redstone ore now emits red dust particles. | ||||
July 7, 2010 | Redstone ore now has a name (previously all redstone-related blocks had no official name). | ||||
Java Edition | |||||
1.0.0 | Beta 1.9 Prerelease 6 | The mining time of redstone ore has been significantly reduced - it now has the same mining time as other ores. | |||
1.3.1 | 12w22a | Mining redstone ore, along with other ores, now gives the player experience orbs. One stack of redstone ore gives roughly 10 levels of experience. | |||
1.13 | 17w47a | The different block IDs for the redstone ore have been merged into 1 ID. | |||
A lit block state has been added to redstone ore. | |||||
Prior to The Flattening, these blocks' numeral IDs were 73 and 74. | |||||
Texture Update | January 4, 2018 | ![]() | |||
1.14 | 18w43a | ![]() | |||
1.17 | 21w06a | The height limit was expanded down to Y=-64. Redstone ores are temporary generating from Y=-64 instead of Y=0. | |||
21w07a | ![]() | ||||
Redstone ore now attempts to generate evenly between an altitude of Y=15 and Y=-64.[3] | |||||
February 17, 2021 | ![]() | ||||
February 18, 2021 | ![]() | ||||
February 22, 2021 | ![]() ![]() | ||||
21w08a | ![]() | ||||
![]() | |||||
Added redstone_ores block tag. | |||||
21w08b | Redstone ore now attempts to generate twice: once, evenly between an altitude of Y=15 and Y=-64; and as a triangle spread, peaking at an altitude of -64 and generating below an altitude of Y=-32.[3] | ||||
21w10a | ![]() | ||||
Decreased the amount of redstone ore blobs. | |||||
21w15a | All the changes to redstone ore generation in the previous 1.17 snapshots have been reverted, but they can be re-enabled with the Caves & Cliffs Prototype Data Pack. | ||||
1.18 | Experimental Snapshot 1 | Redstone ore once again generates the way it did in the 1.17 snapshots without the use of a data pack. | |||
Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||
v0.1.0 | ![]() | ||||
v0.4.0 | Redstone ore added to creative mode. | ||||
v0.8.0 | build 1 | Redstone ore now drops redstone when mined. | |||
v0.12.1 | build 1 | Redstone ore can now be obtained if mined with a pickaxe enchanted with Silk Touch. | |||
v0.13.0 | build 1 | Redstone ore now emits light and red particles when walked on. | |||
Bedrock Edition | |||||
1.10.0 | beta 1.10.0.3 | ![]() | |||
1.16.220 | beta 1.16.220.50 | ![]() | |||
1.17.0 | beta 1.16.230.52 | ![]() | |||
beta 1.16.230.56 | In the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay, redstone ore now attempts to generate twice: once, evenly between an altitude of Y=15 and Y=-64; and as a triangle spread, generating from Y=31 to Y=-31. | ||||
beta 1.17.0.52 | Now deepslate redstone ore generates without the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay. | ||||
1.18.0 | beta 1.18.0.20 | Removed “Caves and Cliffs” experimental toggle. New redstone ore generation are now available through normal gameplay. | |||
Redstone ore generation height has now been tweaked. | |||||
beta 1.18.0.22 | Redstone ore generation height has now been tweaked to be in parity with Java Edition. | ||||
Legacy Console Edition | |||||
TU1 | CU1 | 1.0 | Patch 1 | 1.0.1 | ![]() |
1.90 | ![]() | ||||
New Nintendo 3DS Edition | |||||
0.1.0 | ![]() |
Lit redstone ore "item"[]
- The following content is transcluded from Technical blocks/Lit Redstone Ore.
Java Edition Alpha | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
v1.0.1 | Lit redstone ore has an unobtainable item form corresponding to its block ID. It can be obtained via inventory editors with numeric item ID 74. | ||||
Java Edition Beta | |||||
1.6 | Test Build 3 | Lit redstone ore items can be obtained from the newly added debug chests, mainly from the 16th slot of the 3rd chest from the left, and the 27th slot of the 5th chest from the left. | |||
release | Debug chests no longer spawn, preventing lit redstone ore items from being obtained this way. | ||||
Java Edition | |||||
1.0.0 | Beta 1.9 Prerelease 4 | Lit redstone ore can be obtained with the Silk Touch enchantment by breaking a block with an appropriate tool enchanted with it. | |||
Beta 1.9 Prerelease 5 | Lit redstone ore can no longer be obtained via Silk Touch. | ||||
1.3.1 | 12w16a | Lit redstone ore can now be obtained as an item in singleplayer worlds via the /give command using the respective numeric ID. | |||
1.7.2 | 13w37a | The direct item form of lit redstone ore has been removed from the game. It can no longer exist as an item in any way, only as a placed block. | |||
Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||
? | Lit redstone ore exists as an item. |
Appearances[]
Java Edition Alpha | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
v1.0.1 | ![]() | ||||
? | The lit redstone ore item uses the aforementioned model when held in third person. | ||||
Java Edition Beta | |||||
1.6 | Test Build 3 | ![]() | |||
This is a result of all 3D items having changed in this version to be brighter and rotated 90 degrees clockwise from their prior appearances. | |||||
1.8 | Pre-release | ![]() | |||
This is a result of all 3D items having changed in this version to be even brighter than previously. | |||||
Cakes, among other irregular 3D items, no longer appear much larger than other blocks as dropped items. | |||||
Java Edition | |||||
1.0.0 | RC2 | ![]() | |||
This is a result of all 3D items having changed in this version to be more shaded again. | |||||
1.3.1 | 12w22a | ![]() | |||
This is a result of all 3D items being rotated 90 degrees anticlockwise from their prior appearances. | |||||
1.4.2 | 12w34a | ![]() | |||
This is a result of all 3D items being brightened to a miniscule degree. | |||||
Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||
v0.1.0 | ![]() | ||||
v0.2.0 | Lit redstone ore no longer has an item sprite. |
Names[]
Item names did not exist prior to Beta 1.0.
- Beta 1.0 - 13w36b: Redstone Ore
Issues[]
Issues relating to "Redstone Ore" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.
Gallery[]
Naturally generated diamond ore, redstone ore and lapis lazuli ore found in a ravine.
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20210311215700/https://imgur.com/a/UnIGPKn
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20230509054859/https://imgur.com/a/GirweJL
- ↑ a b MC-216101 — "Redstone ore generates with a flat distribution below Y=12" — resolved as "Fixed".