Diamonds are some of the rarest and most precious materials in Minecraft, and therefore finding them has always been a rather challenging task. That’s where this guide comes in! Covering both Minecraft 1.16 and 1.17, we’ll teach you how to find Diamonds fast and mine them efficiently, so you get start crafting some of the strongest items in the game.
On this page:
How to find Diamonds in Minecraft 1.16.5
Diamonds spawn as Diamond Ore in the Overworld in Minecraft. You can find them in every biome at levels 1-15, but they spawn most often at levels 5-12.
To know what level you’re on, hit F3 to bring up the coordinates display. The second number next to “XYZ” is the current level of the bottom half of your body.
Diamond Ore usually spawns in small veins of 1-10 blocks, but you can also have veins touching each other to create an even larger Diamond vein. It’s also worth noting that there’s a 50% lower chance of a Diamond Ore spawning next to open air, so strip-mining is a good approach for finding Diamonds fast (more on this below).
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How to find Diamonds in Minecraft 1.17
In Minecraft 1.17, world generation will change so that you can go below Y-Level 0 and into negative figures. Down below Y-Level 0 you’ll find all the usual ores, including Diamonds, embedded in Deepslate blocks instead of regular Stone blocks.
If you’re playing Minecraft 1.17, then Diamonds will spawn between levels 14 to -63, and the spawn chance increases the further down you go. So you’ll find the most Diamonds in 1.17 at levels -63 to -53.
Best method for mining Diamonds in Minecraft
Diamond Ore can only be mined with an Iron Pickaxe or better. As mentioned earlier, Diamonds are less common in open spaces like caves, which means to maximise your chances of finding Diamonds in Minecraft you should strip-mine in straight lines in all directions.
The best method for mining Diamonds in Minecraft 1.16 is to dig down to level 6 and dig a long 2×1 tunnel in any direction. Then, start to mine out to either side in more 2×1 tunnels, leaving a 2-block gap between each new tunnel.
Once you’re satisfied you’ve strip-mined all diamonds on that level, repeat the whole process at level 10. If you dig at both level 6 and level 10, then you’ll be able to see all Diamonds that spawn between levels 5-12, which as we’ve discussed are the levels where you’re most likely to find Diamonds.
For Minecraft 1.17, you can use this exact same method but using levels -62 and -58.
While mining, it’s a good idea to keep a Water Bucket on your person, because pockets of lava are fairly common at these levels. Remember also to bring plenty of torches to light your way and prevent mobs from spawning in your tunnels.
That’s everything you need to know about how to find Diamonds in Minecraft fast. But Diamonds alone aren’t enough: you’re going to need to consult our Minecraft Netherite guide to learn about how to get the very strongest weapons, armour, and tools in the game!
