Community, I have just recently realized I don't have an efficient diamond mining strategy. Right now I'm doing 1x2 tunnels every 3 blocks for maximum amount of coverage, (I have about 6 tunnels going 100-300 blocks straight) yet I have zero diamonds.
What are your guys' techniques for getting diamonds?
I dig a 2x2xinfinity tunnel 1 layer above bedrock. I usually find a vein of diamonds once every half hour(so like, 10 diamonds an hour). This is also a good way to get redstone.
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I've been a Minecraft player since Beta 1.7, still my favorite game!
Twitter: @EvanLange7737
Diamonds... Hate them. I prefer iron if you ask me..
But, here goes how i go Diamond hunting (?)
Right now, i have almos 2 stacks of diamond.
At my first diamond vein i got 5 diamonds, with those 5 i crafted a pick and went to get 4 obsidian..
At this point i already had an ongoing reed farm. Crafted an Enchantment table and all the bookshelfs i needed to get the enchantments up to lvl 35-ish.
Then went monster hunting at night and got to lvl 34 and enchanted that pickaxe and i was lucky enough to get a Fortune II pick
Then i started doing that strategy KyoShinda suggested and got a ton of diamonds..
Always at layer 12-11.
If you have played Minecraft pre 1.8 then the problem is that you are mining above level 15. In one of the 1.9 pre releases, mojang changed the diamond level from 20 to 15. I had the same problem that you had. I had a very complex mining system but yet, no diamond. It wasn't until I read the features of the pre releases and saw the change. I then looked at the level of my mine. I was mining at level 17. So that was the reason why.
If you have played Minecraft pre 1.8 then the problem is that you are mining above level 15. In one of the 1.9 pre releases, mojang changed the diamond level from 20 to 15. I had the same problem that you had. I had a very complex mining system but yet, no diamond. It wasn't until I read the features of the pre releases and saw the change. I then looked at the level of my mine. I was mining at level 17. So that was the reason why.
I mine at level 12 because I've heard by countless youtubers that it is the prime layer for diamonds. Sadly I still have none :'(
@KyoShinda Yeah I'm going to try that, cause so far I'm having no luck ._.
The down side with that method is that it takes quite a bit of counting and practice before you can get a good rhythm. It also isn't so good for torch placements.
Caves are really your best bet since deep chasms and abandoned mines are fairly common now.
For mining, just get to where your floor is the same level as the top of most lava lakes, do two sets of 1x2 tunnels, one row staggered over the other, then if you have a large enough area without lava lakes, do another level down, like:
: : : :
: : : :
: : : :
: : : :
: : : :
: : : :
Or even another layer down after that.
It's not as close to 100% visibility of all blocks, but for tool usage and lighting you'll work through a larger area getting mostly everything. If still having trouble, try getting a fortune 2 or 3 enchantment on an iron pickaxe and only use this for diamond blocks you find. It really helps multiply your results. The number of levels needed can usually be gained rather quickly in clearing out some of those abandoned mines.
In general, yeah, ores seem to be more prone to sweet spots and large dead zones with the latest group of patches. They do however seem to be more common in clusters of 3 or more than in sets of 2, so the above arrangement will find most of them for about as much digging as you're doing now.
Would like to see higher densities of certain materials based on the biome type really... More coal near swamps and deserts, more iron and gold in mountains, more gold in snowy mountains, greater chance of diamond/redstone near lava pools (regardless of depth). You know, more natural distribution.
I've been mining at level 7 with the normal branch method & have collected 106 diamonds in the space of maybe 5-6 hours. Of course mining that low runs the risk of hitting lava. But a bucket of water fixes that.
Hold on, if that is what phoenix mining is, it's not what I'm doing.
I just do tunnels in a swastika pattern. You make a 3x3 wide room then go out in 4 main hallways. Then from the main hallways you make the little hallways go out into infinity(I space these small hallways 2 apart).
It's not about coverage, it's about efficiency. Tunnels are the best way to mine because for every block destroyed, you uncover 4 new spots. The best thing to do is mine really long tunnels. I mean yeah, it'll be a long way back, but within that time you'll have the quickest diamonds.
10 - 16 are the layers in which diamonds spawn. You have 6 layers of possible diamonds, so if you dig down to layer 16 and dig everything up until level 10, that's your vertical range.
What I do is quarry, but that's mainly if you want cobblestone and other fun stuff as well.
What I suggest you do is go into creative, 1-shot all the blocks, refine your method for finding diamonds, then start a survival map and apply the method. That way you can explore your own personal way to find diamonds. I find that to be the most enjoyable way to solve this issue.
Otherwise, you can do what I do, dig down to layer 10, look up, and mine the ceiling out. you will mine to EXACTLY layer 17, leaving absolutely no chance for a diamond to pass you up. Keep in mind, though, that there is only ONE diamond node in every cross chunk (16x16x128). What that means is that there is a pattern like this:
The area can be considered a chunk scaling from (0,0) to (16,16). But within the chunks there is a cross-chunk grid in which diamonds can spawn. So it is possible that in one traditional chunk with the dimensions (0,0) to (16,16) you can have 4 diamond nodes spawn within the layers of 10 to 16. One node can contain several blocks of diamond ore, and can reside in layers under 10 and over 16, but the center of the node always remains in the layers of 10 to 16.
This is why quarrying works -- if you clear four entire chunk areas (16x16), between layers 10 and 16, you have essentially a 100% chance of finding diamonds, because there is such a small chance that four intersecting chunks will have all their diamond nodes as outliers. To clear ONE chunk, you must mine 1536 blocks. Considering that a diamond pick consists of around 1200 uses, you will average a chunk per pick. Keep in mind, however, you also obtain LOADS of stone, iron, and coal. Using the iron, which has about 250 uses per pick, and repairing them is the most cost efficient, but not the most time efficient strategy.
Because the cost of finding an average of 4 diamonds is that of a diamond pick, then after the first chunk being cleared you will obtain 1 diamond, on average, every chunk, which takes about 40 minutes to clear a single chunk. So, the rate of quarrying is 1 diamond per 40 minutes. Essentially: if you quarry for stone, not diamonds, you will see a net gain (in diamonds), but if you quarry for diamonds, not stone, you will see a net loss (in time efficiency).
Branch mining is best done with this particular pattern when FACING A WALL:
O - Stone
U - Shaft
OOUOOUOOUOOUOOUOOU
OOUOOUOOUOOUOOUOOU
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OUOOUOOUOOUOOUOOUO O <- You
OUOOUOOUOOUOOUOOUO /|\
Follow this pattern in the wall with each shaft 16 blocks long and you will be able to see every block in the 16x16x6 area, except for one line of blocks between each vertical shaft pair (but since diamonds RARELY spawn in a straight line, you have a greater chance of finding part of the node sticking out from this line than not).
I suggest MARKING the shafts with SIGNS or some other signal so you know where you found the diamond. After a few of the markings you can guess where the diamond cross-chunk grid may lay, possibly increasing your ability to know where the diamonds may be before even touching the wall.
Lighting up the shafts is recommended, but closing each shaft off with a door (hatches are cheaper, but more dangerous) will keep monsters from attacking. Placing water in the middle of the shaft, which spreads 8 blocks in either direction, will prevent monsters from spawning all together, but makes it annoying to renter the shaft.
The biggest issue with these techniques is that you may run into caves and lava. The best method to getting around these is either ignoring them or follow the caves and hope they have some diamonds in them. Caves, do not technically destroy possible diamond nodes, but usually replace them. Caves do NOT follow the cross-chunk diamond grid and will spawn diamonds randomly throughout. Sometimes caves can be a bonus, but other times they can be a hazard filled with lava and evil monsters who want to eat your face. I, personally, try to pass them up if I can. It may seem like you can find diamonds faster by exploring caves, but in reality it is like playing the lottery.
The trick to getting diamonds is to have a Fortune III pick. They are pretty overpowered. Then do branch mining or Pheonix mining (if you want to make it harder on yourself but save some travel time). Personally I like branching mining out at level 12 to easily avoidable lava spills, then dropping it 2 levels to 10 to hit that slightly higher concentration of diamonds.
I mine a 2x1 mineshaft at layer 12. but to conserve torches, after I'm done, i remove the torches because mobs need a 2x2 area to spawn in, and i won't be mining there again anyway.
I find that if I find a cavern that gos deep enough I dig around lava pools and that is usually how I find them, but that doesn't help you if you can't find tunnels that go that deep.
I started a phoenix mine on my world, starting with just 22 blocks to test it and looks as efficient as normal strip mining but its easier to orientate yourself to find the way out of that mess.
I mine a 2x1 mineshaft at layer 12. but to conserve torches, after I'm done, i remove the torches because mobs need a 2x2 area to spawn in, and i won't be mining there again anyway.
What are your guys' techniques for getting diamonds?
1 1/2 stack iron
26gold
29diamond
Most of the diamond comes from intersecting caves that hvae a couple of ores showing.
Twitter: @EvanLange7737
But, here goes how i go Diamond hunting (?)
Right now, i have almos 2 stacks of diamond.
At my first diamond vein i got 5 diamonds, with those 5 i crafted a pick and went to get 4 obsidian..
At this point i already had an ongoing reed farm. Crafted an Enchantment table and all the bookshelfs i needed to get the enchantments up to lvl 35-ish.
Then went monster hunting at night and got to lvl 34 and enchanted that pickaxe and i was lucky enough to get a Fortune II pick
Then i started doing that strategy KyoShinda suggested and got a ton of diamonds..
Always at layer 12-11.
Thats my story..
I mine at level 12 because I've heard by countless youtubers that it is the prime layer for diamonds. Sadly I still have none :'(
What is phoenix mining?
EDIT: nvm hehe i found this
http://nzphoenixma.blogspot.com/2011/04/efficient-mining-1-phoenix-quad-mining.html
The down side with that method is that it takes quite a bit of counting and practice before you can get a good rhythm. It also isn't so good for torch placements.
Caves are really your best bet since deep chasms and abandoned mines are fairly common now.
For mining, just get to where your floor is the same level as the top of most lava lakes, do two sets of 1x2 tunnels, one row staggered over the other, then if you have a large enough area without lava lakes, do another level down, like:
: : : :
: : : :
: : : :
: : : :
: : : :
: : : :
Or even another layer down after that.
It's not as close to 100% visibility of all blocks, but for tool usage and lighting you'll work through a larger area getting mostly everything. If still having trouble, try getting a fortune 2 or 3 enchantment on an iron pickaxe and only use this for diamond blocks you find. It really helps multiply your results. The number of levels needed can usually be gained rather quickly in clearing out some of those abandoned mines.
In general, yeah, ores seem to be more prone to sweet spots and large dead zones with the latest group of patches. They do however seem to be more common in clusters of 3 or more than in sets of 2, so the above arrangement will find most of them for about as much digging as you're doing now.
Would like to see higher densities of certain materials based on the biome type really... More coal near swamps and deserts, more iron and gold in mountains, more gold in snowy mountains, greater chance of diamond/redstone near lava pools (regardless of depth). You know, more natural distribution.
I just do tunnels in a swastika pattern. You make a 3x3 wide room then go out in 4 main hallways. Then from the main hallways you make the little hallways go out into infinity(I space these small hallways 2 apart).
It's not about coverage, it's about efficiency. Tunnels are the best way to mine because for every block destroyed, you uncover 4 new spots. The best thing to do is mine really long tunnels. I mean yeah, it'll be a long way back, but within that time you'll have the quickest diamonds.
What I do is quarry, but that's mainly if you want cobblestone and other fun stuff as well.
What I suggest you do is go into creative, 1-shot all the blocks, refine your method for finding diamonds, then start a survival map and apply the method. That way you can explore your own personal way to find diamonds. I find that to be the most enjoyable way to solve this issue.
Otherwise, you can do what I do, dig down to layer 10, look up, and mine the ceiling out. you will mine to EXACTLY layer 17, leaving absolutely no chance for a diamond to pass you up. Keep in mind, though, that there is only ONE diamond node in every cross chunk (16x16x128). What that means is that there is a pattern like this:
0 - Normal Chunk Space
+ - Diamond Chunk Grid
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The area can be considered a chunk scaling from (0,0) to (16,16). But within the chunks there is a cross-chunk grid in which diamonds can spawn. So it is possible that in one traditional chunk with the dimensions (0,0) to (16,16) you can have 4 diamond nodes spawn within the layers of 10 to 16. One node can contain several blocks of diamond ore, and can reside in layers under 10 and over 16, but the center of the node always remains in the layers of 10 to 16.
This is why quarrying works -- if you clear four entire chunk areas (16x16), between layers 10 and 16, you have essentially a 100% chance of finding diamonds, because there is such a small chance that four intersecting chunks will have all their diamond nodes as outliers. To clear ONE chunk, you must mine 1536 blocks. Considering that a diamond pick consists of around 1200 uses, you will average a chunk per pick. Keep in mind, however, you also obtain LOADS of stone, iron, and coal. Using the iron, which has about 250 uses per pick, and repairing them is the most cost efficient, but not the most time efficient strategy.
Because the cost of finding an average of 4 diamonds is that of a diamond pick, then after the first chunk being cleared you will obtain 1 diamond, on average, every chunk, which takes about 40 minutes to clear a single chunk. So, the rate of quarrying is 1 diamond per 40 minutes. Essentially: if you quarry for stone, not diamonds, you will see a net gain (in diamonds), but if you quarry for diamonds, not stone, you will see a net loss (in time efficiency).
Branch mining is best done with this particular pattern when FACING A WALL:
O - Stone
U - Shaft
OOUOOUOOUOOUOOUOOU
OOUOOUOOUOOUOOUOOU
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OUOOUOOUOOUOOUOOUO O <- You
OUOOUOOUOOUOOUOOUO /|\
Follow this pattern in the wall with each shaft 16 blocks long and you will be able to see every block in the 16x16x6 area, except for one line of blocks between each vertical shaft pair (but since diamonds RARELY spawn in a straight line, you have a greater chance of finding part of the node sticking out from this line than not).
I suggest MARKING the shafts with SIGNS or some other signal so you know where you found the diamond. After a few of the markings you can guess where the diamond cross-chunk grid may lay, possibly increasing your ability to know where the diamonds may be before even touching the wall.
Lighting up the shafts is recommended, but closing each shaft off with a door (hatches are cheaper, but more dangerous) will keep monsters from attacking. Placing water in the middle of the shaft, which spreads 8 blocks in either direction, will prevent monsters from spawning all together, but makes it annoying to renter the shaft.
The biggest issue with these techniques is that you may run into caves and lava. The best method to getting around these is either ignoring them or follow the caves and hope they have some diamonds in them. Caves, do not technically destroy possible diamond nodes, but usually replace them. Caves do NOT follow the cross-chunk diamond grid and will spawn diamonds randomly throughout. Sometimes caves can be a bonus, but other times they can be a hazard filled with lava and evil monsters who want to eat your face. I, personally, try to pass them up if I can. It may seem like you can find diamonds faster by exploring caves, but in reality it is like playing the lottery.
gargamel: http://www.gamefront.com/files/22576198/gargamel Converted.zip Glacier: PM Me
Not the point, I know, but I hate the way diamonds generate now.
Mobs need a 2x2 area to spawn... interesting.
Thanks for sharing. :biggrin.gif: