How do you find copper in Minecraft? The Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update promises to overhaul the blocky sandbox’s underground world, and that means introducing a bunch of new materials and blocks, one of which is copper.
Unlike Minecraft’s other precious metals, copper isn’t that difficult to find and is easy to mine. It’s a versatile material and can be smelted and used for a number of different objects, blocks, and tools.
Mojang split the Caves and Cliffs update into two parts, and thankfully copper was introduced in part 1, meaning you can get it right now. For a further breakdown of what features are in each of the two updates, check out our Minecraft 1.17 Caves and Cliffs update guide.
Where to find Minecraft copper
Like all of Minecraft’s metals, copper can be mined underground. It comes in two variants:
- A regular version found in stone
- A rarer version found in deepslate, which is deeper underground and much harder to find
Copper blocks have a distinct orange and turquoise speckled look and you’ll need a stone pickaxe or harder to mine it. When you’ve collected copper ore, you’ll need a Minecraft blast furnace to smelt it down into ingots for crafting.
If you want to cut out the hassle of crafting a furnace, you can harvest copper ingots from Drowned, a zombie mob that spawns in oceans and rivers and specifically drops copper ingots when killed.
What can I craft with copper in Minecraft?
Copper’s crafting capabilities are very similar to most metals in Minecraft. Using copper ingots from a blast furnace, you can create weapons, armour, and tools. You can also smelt nine ingots to craft a copper block, a material that oxidizes over time, turning the original orange block into a turquoise colour. Very cool if you’re into Minecraft builds, and want to create some industrial buildings.
How to craft a Minecraft lightning rod
One very useful item made from copper is the lightning rod. This rod redirects lightning strikes within its area. Place one of these on top of your flammable structures and you’ll save yourself some grief. Lightning rods also emit a redstone signal with struck, which is handy if you’re into Minecraft’s automation capabilities. To craft a lightning rod you’ll need 3 copper ingots.
How to craft a Minecraft spyglass
Next to the lightning rod, the next key item in Minecraft is the spyglass. It’s a new tool that lets you zoom in and focus on specific locations in the distance. To craft the spyglass, you’re going to need two copper ingots and one amethyst shard.
