Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Copper Ore in Minecraft: Where to Find It and Uses
Copper ore drops 2 to 5 raw copper, up to 20 with Fortune, and needs a stone pickaxe or better. It is very common between Y=-16 and Y=112, and dripstone caves have much bigger copper blobs. Copper makes lightning rods, spyglasses, copper tools and building blocks.
Where is copper ore found?
It generates in all Overworld biomes from Y=-16 to Y=112, most common around Y=47 and Y=48. Dripstone caves have a second batch with blobs up to 52 ores. Large copper ore veins mixed with granite and raw copper blocks also form above Y=0.
How do you mine it?
Mine it with a stone pickaxe or better. Fortune III averages about 7.7 raw copper per ore. The ore itself never oxidizes, even though its texture looks a little green.
What is copper ore used for?
- Copper ingots for lightning rods, spyglasses and brushes
- Copper tools and armor
- Copper building blocks that age over time
- Copper golems and copper bulbs
Tip
Search dripstone caves for copper; the blobs there are much larger than anywhere else.
Pickaxes, Silk Touch and Fortune
Most stone-like blocks need a pickaxe: without one they break slowly and drop nothing. Silk Touch picks up a block that normally drops something else, such as an ore or plain stone, and Fortune adds drops to ores but not to plain stone. Blast resistance and hardness decide how well a block survives explosions and how long it takes to break, which matters when you choose a building block for a base. A stonecutter turns stone blocks into stairs, slabs and walls one block at a time, which is cheaper than crafting for stairs (1 stair per block instead of 4 stairs from 6). See tool tiers and copper tools.
Does ArtemisPvP have custom gear?
Frequently asked questions
How much raw copper does copper ore drop?
2 to 5, or up to 20 with Fortune.
What pickaxe do you need for copper ore?
A stone pickaxe or better.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.