How to Mine Redstone in Minecraft

Written by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: June 7, 2023 Approved

The most common way of getting redstone dust is by mining redstone ore. Redstone Ore can be found 10 blocks (or layers) above bedrock or in between bedrock. This means it can be found commonly from blocks 5-12, and rarely up to layer 16 or down to layer 2. You will need an iron pickaxe to mine any redstone ore.

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Mining

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1
If you prefer to mine, dig down in a staircase pattern to bedrock.
- Dig two blocks in front of you, and one block below them. Jump down and repeat.
2
Once you reach bedrock, look around you for any redstone ores. If there isn't any, dig out a bigger room and place torches on the walls to prevent hostile mobs from spawning.
- 5 blocks wide, 5 blocks long, and 3 blocks tall is usually a good start for a mine.
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) on the walls, ceiling, or floor. Be careful, redstone ore can only be mined with Iron, Diamond and (if you have it,) netherite. Netherite can be made by using a netherite ingot with diamond tools in a smithing table.
6
From your large room, walk 3 blocks into your smaller tunnel and choose a wall
- You should have skipped 2 blocks of wall, and are now facing the third in.
If you see it, dig back and collect it.
Find a style that works for you.

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Caving

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1
Find a cave, preferably near sea-level, that goes down.
- If it goes straight down, you can mine out a staircase around the edges of the pit to get down.
You can either start mining straight back into the cave wall, or explore more cave branches that go out or further down, to find redstone in the walls, ceiling, or floor.

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Finding Redstone Dust in Other Places

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It can be traded for, dropped by dead witches, or used as wiring for traps in jungle temples.

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Jungle Temples

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Jungle Temples only spawn in the Jungle biome, when you have 'Generate Structures' turned on.

1
Find a jungle
- A jungle is characterized by tall trees, vines, and bright green grass
2
Find a jungle temple
- They are large, cobblestone and mossy cobblestone buildings.
5
Walk down the hallway, sticking closely to the side to avoid being shot by the dispenser.
- Sometimes the dispenser can be hidden by vines, so be careful!
10
There is a correct sequence of levers to pull to open up a hole on the left side of the stairs on the upper level, which you can then drop through.
- Alternatively, you can knock the middle lever off the wall and dig through the wall behind it.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

By Trading

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Occasionally, a village priest will offer to trade 2-4 pieces of redstone for an emerald. Emeralds can be found while mining only in the Extreme Hills biome.

2
A large tower may be present, and this is the best location to find a priest.
- Priests wear purple robes.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

From Witches

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Witches are ranged enemies that only spawn in swamp huts, found in the swamp biome, that can drop redstone dust.

1
Find a swamp biome
- These are characterized by lily pads, vines on the trees, and dark water and grass.
2
Locate a swamp hut, and the witch inside.
- The witch.

Community Q&A

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Question

Is there any chance that I fall into a cave when mining?

Community Answer

Yes, there is a chance.

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Question

Can I mine redstone ore with a wooden pickaxe?

Community Answer

No, you need an iron pickaxe or diamond pickaxe to mine redstone ore.

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Is dive mining in the new aquatic update effective?

Community Answer

Not really, your movements get fatigued under the water. So maybe if there is a potion that reduces fatigue, then definitely consider getting some of those.

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Tips

When caving, remember to leave torches or other markers behind you to find your way out!

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If you have shears, you can cut the tripwire in a jungle temple without it being triggered

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A witch cannot attack while healing, so it is helpful to get the first shot.

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If you can't find a cave, dig straight down in a 1x2 area, stand in the middle, and dig down one block at a time. This will prevent you from falling into lava or a cave.
Wooden pickaxes are the best for mining diamond!

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