How to make Emerald Ore in Minecraft (2024)

This Minecraft tutorial explains how to craft emerald ore with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.

In Minecraft, emerald ore is an item that you can not make with a crafting table or furnace. Instead, you need to find and gather this item in the game.

Let's explore how to add emerald ore to your inventory.

Supported Platforms

Emerald ore is available in the following versions of Minecraft:

Platform	Supported (Version*)
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	Yes (1.3.1)
Pocket Edition (PE)	Yes
Xbox 360	Yes (TU14)
Xbox One	Yes
PS3	Yes (1.04)
PS4	Yes
Wii U	Yes
Nintendo Switch	Yes
Windows 10 Edition	Yes
Education Edition	Yes

* The version that it was added or removed, if applicable.
NOTE: Pocket Edition (PE), Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows 10 Edition are now called Bedrock Edition. We will continue to show them individually for version history.

Where to find Emerald Ore in Creative Mode

Java
PE
Xbox
PS
Nintendo
Win10
Edu

Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)

Here is where you can find emerald ore in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	1.8 - 1.19	Building Blocks
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	1.19.3 - 1.21	Natural Blocks

Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE)

Here is where you can find emerald ore in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Pocket Edition (PE)	0.14.1 - 1.1.3	Building Blocks
Pocket Edition (PE)	1.2 - 1.21.0	Nature

Minecraft Xbox Editions

Here is where you can find emerald ore in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Xbox 360	TU35 - TU69	Building Blocks
Xbox One	CU23 - CU43	Building Blocks
Xbox One	1.2.5 - 1.21.0	Nature

Minecraft PS Editions

Here is where you can find emerald ore in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
PS3	1.26 - 1.76	Building Blocks
PS4	1.26 - 1.91	Building Blocks
PS4	1.14.0 - 1.21.0	Nature

Minecraft Nintendo

Here is where you can find emerald ore in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Wii U	Patch 3 - Patch 38	Building Blocks
Nintendo Switch	1.04 - 1.11	Building Blocks
Nintendo Switch	1.5.0 - 1.21.0	Nature

Minecraft Windows 10 Edition

Here is where you can find emerald ore in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Windows 10 Edition	0.14.1 - 1.1.3	Building Blocks
Windows 10 Edition	1.2 - 1.21.0	Nature

Minecraft Education Edition

Here is where you can find emerald ore in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Education Edition	0.14.2 - 1.0.18	Building Blocks
Education Edition	1.0.21 - 1.21.03	Nature

Definitions

Platform is the platform that applies.
Version(s) is the Minecraft version numbers where the item can be found in the menu location listed (we have tested and confirmed this version number).
Creative Menu Location is the location of the item in the Creative Inventory menu.

How to get Emerald Ore in Survival Mode

You can add an emerald ore to your inventory in Survival mode by mining emerald ore with a diamond pickaxe, iron pickaxe, or netherite pickaxe that is enchanted with Silk Touch. So let's get started!

1. Find a Block of Emerald Ore

First, you need to find a block of emerald ore in your Minecraft world. The best place to find emerald ore is in the Mountains biome.

In Minecraft, emerald ore is very hard to find and is found in small deposits in the Mountains biome. You can usually find emerald ore between 13 and 31 blocks below the ground and close to lava.

So if you see a pool of lava in the Mountains biome, that is a great place to start mining downward.

In this example, we are going to dig into a mountain to find emerald ore.

This is what a block of emerald ore looks like:

2. Hold a Diamond, Iron or Netherite Pickaxe with Silk Touch

To mine for emerald ore, you need to dig up the emerald ore with a diamond pickaxe, iron pickaxe, or netherite pickaxe that has been enchanted with Silk Touch.

How to make a Netherite PickaxeHow to make a Diamond PickaxeHow to make an Iron Pickaxe

Other tools will not dig up the emerald ore and let you add it to your inventory.

In this example, we are going to use a diamond pickaxe with Silk Touch to dig up the emerald ore.

3. Mine the Emerald Ore

The game control to mine the emerald ore depends on the version of Minecraft:

For Java Edition (PC/Mac), left click and hold on the block of emerald ore.
For Pocket Edition (PE), you tap and hold on the block of emerald ore.
For Xbox 360 and Xbox One, press and hold the RT button on the Xbox controller.
For PS3 and PS4, press and hold the R2 button on the PS controller.
For Wii U, press and hold the ZR button on the gamepad.
For Nintendo Switch, press and hold the ZR button on the controller.
For Windows 10 Edition, left click and hold on the block of emerald ore.
For Education Edition, left click and hold on the block of emerald ore.

You will need to continue to mine until the block breaks and a smaller block of emerald ore finally appears. The emerald ore will float on the ground.

TIP: Normally when you mine emerald ore, you get an emerald as the drop. However, when you mine the emerald ore using a tool enchanted with Silk Touch, you will get the emerald ore itself as the drop.

4. Pick up the Emerald Ore

Make sure you pick up the emerald ore before it disappears.

Once you pick up the emerald ore, it will appear in your hotbar.

Emerald ore is a very useful item and should be kept in your inventory to be used later.