Fortune

What is Fortune?

Fortune is one of the most valuable enchantments in Minecraft, and it increases the number of items that drop from the blocks you mine. It works on ores (diamonds, emeralds, lapis lazuli, coal, quartz, copper and, since 1.17, iron), on crops (such as carrots and potatoes) and on other blocks that give drops. It's the foundation of efficient mining and a must-have on every pickaxe you use to gather resources.

Fortune III on a pickaxe is a must for mining diamonds efficiently. On average it gives 2.2 diamonds instead of 1 from every ore, which more than doubles your yield. Without it you waste more than half of the potential resources from every diamond ore. That's the difference between having a full set of diamond armor and not having enough materials for basic tools.

Fortune has a low enchantment weight (2), which means it shows up at the enchanting table less often than Efficiency or Unbreaking. That's why many players prefer trading with a librarian as a more reliable source of the enchantment.

Exact chances of extra drops

Fortune works differently on different types of blocks. Here are the exact stats for the most important resources every miner should know:

Diamonds, Emeralds, Nether Quartz

Fortune III gives on average 2.2x more diamonds from every ore. From 100 diamond ores you get an average of 220 diamonds instead of 100. That's a huge difference, and it lets you build a full set of diamond or netherite gear much faster.

Lapis Lazuli (4-9 base drop)

Lapis lazuli is essential for enchanting at the table (1-3 lapis per enchantment), so the bigger drop from Fortune III means you'll never run out of it.

Coal and Redstone

Coal works the same way as diamonds: Fortune III raises the average drop by 120%. Redstone benefits from Fortune too, just less. On big mining operations the difference is huge, especially for coal, which you need in large amounts for smelting iron and gold ore.

Crops (carrots, potatoes)

Fortune also works on crops harvested with a hoe. Fortune III gives noticeably more carrots and potatoes from every plant. That speeds up the growth of your farms and animal breeding, and gives you plenty of food.

How to get Fortune

Fortune has a low enchantment weight (2), which means it's relatively rare at the enchanting table. It often takes several tries to get the level you want. Here are the most effective methods:

Fortune vs Silk Touch

Fortune and Silk Touch are two mutually exclusive enchantments. You can't have both on one tool. Each has its own unique uses:

Best strategy: carry two pickaxes: one with Fortune III for gathering resources and a second one with Silk Touch for collecting decorative blocks. Both should have Efficiency V, Unbreaking III and Mending. That's a standard setup for advanced players.

Best strategies and uses

The "collect it later" strategy

If you don't have Fortune III yet, you can mark diamond ores (for example with a torch) and come back for them later with a Fortune III pickaxe. Alternatively, use a pickaxe with Silk Touch to collect the ores in their original form, then break them with a Fortune III pickaxe. This technique gives you the maximum number of diamonds and is commonly used by experienced players.

Farms with Fortune

Fortune on a hoe significantly increases the yield from carrot and potato farms. A hoe with Fortune III, Efficiency V and Mending is the ideal farming tool: you harvest crops quickly with maximum yields. You'll find more on crafting hoes in the tool crafting guide.

Fortune on an axe

An axe with Fortune III increases the apple drop from oak and dark oak leaves. It's useful early in the game, when you're looking for food. It also works on melon blocks, giving you more melon slices. It's an often overlooked use of Fortune, and it can come in handy in a lot of situations.

Fortune in the Nether

In the Nether, Fortune III is key for mining Nether quartz (a great source of XP while mining). Keep in mind, though, that Ancient Debris isn't affected by Fortune: you get netherite scrap by smelting it, not by mining it. You'll find more on quartz-based experience farms in our guide to XP farms.