Amethyst in Minecraft: the complete guide
Amethyst is a crystal added in update 1.17 (Caves & Cliffs). You find it in geodes, spherical structures hidden underground and lined with layers of basalt, calcite and blocks of amethyst. From amethyst shards you craft a spyglass, tinted glass and a calibrated sculk sensor. Blocks of amethyst make a distinctive, crystalline sound, which has made them a popular decorative material.
Where to find amethyst geodes
Amethyst geodes generate underground between Y=-58 and Y=30. They appear in all Overworld biomes, with no preferred biome, and their placement is random.
Ways to find geodes:
- Dig at Y=-20 to Y=10: if you dig tunnels at these depths, you'll run into smooth basalt, the outer layer of a geode.
- Explore caves: geodes often intersect cave systems, exposing the purple interior.
- Underwater: geodes also generate beneath the ocean floor. Look for exposed basalt spheres on the seabed.
Geode structure: the layers
A geode is made of three layers (from the outside in):
- Smooth Basalt: the outer shell. Dark gray and easy to recognize among regular stone. A good decorative building material.
- Calcite: the middle layer. A white, soft block. Also decorative, but rarely used.
- Blocks of Amethyst + Budding Amethyst: the inner lining of purple blocks. Crystals grow on Budding Amethyst.
The inside of a geode is hollow.
Budding Amethyst: growing crystals
Budding Amethyst is a special block with a distinctive cross on its texture. Crystals grow only on it. The key rules:
- Budding Amethyst can't be obtained. Even Silk Touch doesn't help: if you break it, it's gone for good.
- Crystals grow in 4 stages: Small Amethyst Bud, Medium Amethyst Bud, Large Amethyst Bud and Amethyst Cluster (the full crystal).
- Each stage takes a random amount of time, from about a dozen minutes up to a few hours of real time.
- Crystals grow on all 6 faces of a Budding Amethyst block (top, bottom and the 4 sides).
- They only grow while the chunk is loaded: wander too far away and growth stops.
To set up an amethyst farm: find a geode, clear the interior around the Budding Amethyst blocks (don't destroy them!), leave room for the crystals to grow and come back every so often to harvest the mature clusters.
Uses of amethyst
Spyglass
2 copper ingots + 1 amethyst shard = a spyglass. It zooms your view in like binoculars. Handy for looking around from towers and spotting structures on the horizon.
Tinted Glass
4 amethyst shards + 1 glass block = tinted glass. You can see through it, but it blocks light, so light doesn't pass through. Ideal for mob farms: you can see what's going on inside while the darkness inside stays in place.
Calibrated Sculk Sensor
Lets you filter the redstone signals from a sculk sensor: it reacts only to the vibration frequency you choose. An advanced component of wireless redstone systems.
Block of Amethyst (decorative)
4 amethyst shards = 1 block of amethyst. A purple decorative block with a crystal texture. It makes a lovely crystalline sound when you step on it or hit it. Popular in fantasy builds.
Amethyst and sound
Blocks of amethyst have a distinctive sound:
- Walking on a block of amethyst makes a crystalline, ringing sound.
Many players use blocks of amethyst as flooring in music rooms and note block rooms because of that distinctive sound of footsteps.
Practical tips
- Remember or mark the location of a geode once you find it. Budding Amethyst regrows crystals, so it's worth coming back for shards regularly.
- Tinted glass is one of the most useful blocks for mob farms. Replace ordinary windows with tinted glass and the farm won't stop working.
- Don't destroy Budding Amethyst blocks: they're the only renewable source of amethyst. Mark them with torches or banners so you don't break them by accident.
- Smooth Basalt from a geode is an excellent building material: dark gray with a smooth texture. Collect it as you explore geodes.
- Amethyst has no use in enchanting or brewing. It's a utility material (spyglass, tinted glass) and a decorative one.