Diamonds in Minecraft spawn primarily underground, below layer 16, with the highest concentration found at deeper levels. In versions 1.18 and later, diamonds are most common between layers -50 and -64, with the optimal mining level around Y=-59 to Y=-53 to balance diamond abundance and safety from lava
. Diamonds generate in veins within diamond ore blocks, which appear in small clusters of up to 9 blocks. They spawn more frequently when surrounded by solid blocks rather than exposed to air, meaning you find fewer diamonds in open caves compared to mining underground
. Additionally, diamonds can be found in various generated structures such as bastion remnants, buried treasure chests, desert temples, end cities, jungle temples, mineshafts, nether fortresses, shipwrecks, strongholds, and village toolsmith or weaponsmith chests
. Summary of diamond spawn locations:
- Underground in the Overworld below Y=16, most abundant between Y=-50 and Y=-64 (best around Y=-59 to Y=-53)
- In veins of diamond ore blocks surrounded by stone or deepslate
- Inside chests in generated structures like bastions, temples, end cities, and villages
Mining strategies to find diamonds include strip mining at the optimal layers and exploring large caves at deep levels, though mining underground yields more diamonds due to less air exposure
. This makes deep underground mining at Y-levels around -59 the best place to find diamonds in Minecraft.
