Whether you are playing solo or on the top entries from the Minecraft server list, a diamond pickaxe can change your entire gameplay. It is one of the most impressive tools in the game, which unlocks faster building, easier ores, and a lot more. But, most of the time, it is locked behind hours of grinding. Lucky for you, we are here to change that by uncovering the best ways to get a diamond pickaxe in Minecraft.
Diamond Pickaxe in Minecraft (2024)
From their spawning to repairing, our guide covers everything you need to know about diamond pickaxes in Minecraft. But, if you are only interested in their crafting, please feel free to skip ahead.
Why Do I Need a Diamond Pickaxe in Minecraft
The diamond pickaxe is one of the most important items in the inventory of any miner in Minecraft. It allows you to mine 1562 blocks through its lifetime. In contrast, an iron pickaxe breaks after mining only 251 blocks.
When it comes to speed, a diamond pickaxe ranks as the third-best choice for most blocks. But the fastest option gold only lasts for 33 blocks and takes much longer on incompatible blocks like obsidian. A Netherite pickaxe is the only pickaxe that can surpass diamonds in both swiftness and strength. But, you need to make a diamond pickaxe in Minecraft before turning it into Netherite.
What Can You Mine With It
There are a bunch of blocks in Minecraft that you can only mine using a diamond or Netherite pickaxe. Using any other pickaxe ends up making the block disappear without dropping anything. The list of such blocks includes:
- Obsidian
- Crying Obsidian
- Respawn Anchor
- Block of Netherite
- Ancient Debris
Where Do Diamond Pickaxe Spawn
You can find enchanted diamond pickaxes in the chest of these structures:
- End City
- Bastion Remnant (Generic)
- Bastion Remnant (Hoglin Stable)
Unfortunately, each of these structures has a less than 15% chance of spawning the pickaxe. So, unless you are also on the search for all the armor trims in Minecraft, visiting these structures might not be worth it.
Can I Kill Mobs to Get Diamond Pickaxe
The only mobs in Minecraft that drop pickaxes are Pillagers and Vindicators. But, but they only drop iron pickaxes. Furthermore, this mechanic is exclusive to the Bedrock edition and only works during raids in Minecraft.
Trade with Villagers for Diamond Pickaxe
While you cannot get a diamond pickaxe by killing mobs, trading is still a viable option. You can buy enchanted diamond pickaxes from toolsmith villagers for 13 emeralds on the Bedrock edition and 18 to 35 emeralds on the Java edition.
But, this trade is only available when the toolsmith villager reaches the master level. So, you first need to upgrade the villager by trading with it for other items. Fortunately, we already have a guide on how to get emeralds in Minecraft to make the process smoother.
Items Required to Craft a Diamond Pickaxe in Minecraft
You need to get the following items to make a diamond pickaxe in Minecraft:
- Iron Pickaxe (to mine diamond ore)
- 3 Diamonds
- 2 Sticks
- 1 Crafting Table
Sticks are one of the easiest items to get in the game. If you are playing on the best Minecraft desert seeds, you can get them by breaking dead bushes. Otherwise, place two planks vertically next to each other in the crafting grid to turn them into sticks. This crafting recipe works with all types of wood in the game including bamboo wood.
Get Iron Pickaxe
If you want to craft a diamond pickaxe in Minecraft, you first need to cycle through weaker pickaxes. The game expects players to slowly upgrade their tools over time. Keeping that in mind, here's how to get an iron pickaxe in Minecraft:
1. First, craft a wooden pickaxe by combining three planks and two sticks. The planks don't have to be of the same type of wood.
2. Then, use your wooden pickaxe to mine stone blocks until you get three cobblestone blocks. You can easily find stones around caves and mountains in your world. Next, combine the cobblestone with sticks to make a stone pickaxe.
3. Next, enter a ravine or cave and search for iron ore blocks. They most commonly generate at the world height of Y=16. Once you find an iron ore block, use your stone pickaxe to mine it and get raw iron.
4. Then, combine 9 cobblestone blocks to make a furnace in Minecraft. You need to smelt raw iron inside the furnace till you get three iron ingots. If you are looking for alternate ways to get iron ingots, our guide on how to get iron in Minecraft can help you.
5. Finally, use three iron ingots and two sticks to make an iron pickaxe.
How to Get Diamonds
Follow these simple steps to find diamonds in Minecraft:
1. First, go to the world height of Y=-58 in the overworld. As per Minecraft's 1.20 ore distribution, this is the perfect height to find diamond ores.
2. Then, search for diamond ores by mining large areas at once. You can discover techniques like branch mining on our dedicated guide to find diamonds in Minecraft.
3. Once you find the diamond ore, use an iron pickaxe to mine it and collect the diamond. Each ore only drops one diamond but you can use looting enchantment to increase this amount.
Crafting Recipe of Diamond Pickaxe in Minecraft
Once you have collected every item, it's time to craft a diamond pickaxe in Minecraft. To do so, first, fill up the first row of the crafting grid with three diamonds. Then, place two sticks in the middle column to finish the recipe. With that, your diamond pickaxe is ready to mine.
How to Repair a Diamond Pickaxe
Usually, a diamond pickaxe only allows you to mine 1562 blocks before losing all durability and breaking. But, you can use the following methods to extend its life:
- Mending: A powerful enchantment that allows you to repair your tools by collecting experience orbs. Use our guide on how to get mending in Minecraft to apply it on a diamond pickaxe.
- Grinding: You can combine two weakened diamond pickaxes on a grindstone to combine their durability and get a bonus of 5% durability. If any of your pickaxes are enchanted, grinding also drops experience orbs.
- Repairing on Anvil: You can use one diamond to restore 25% durability of your damaged pickaxe. But, as you can notice, complete durability costs four diamonds instead of the three that you need to make a new pickaxe.
- Combining on Anvil: You can also use an anvil in Minecraft to combine two damaged pickaxes. But, unlike a grindstone, it doesn't get rid of the enchantments of your tools.
How to Upgrade to Netherite
Now that you know how to craft a diamond pickaxe in Minecraft, it's time to take it to the next level. Here's how:
1. First, make the Nether portal in Minecraft and travel to the Nether dimension.
2. Then, search for ancient debris blocks and mine them with your diamond pickaxe. These blocks commonly generate at the height of Y=15.
3. Then, smelt the ancient debris to get Netherite scrap. You need to get four of these scrap to upgrade the diamond pickaxe.
4. Once you have four Netherite scraps, combine them with gold ingots to craft a Netherite ingot.
5. Then, search for the Upgrade smithing template which spawns in chests of Bastion Remnant structures. But, make sure you have a weapon to deal with the hostile Nether mobs that spawn in them.
6. Next, make and use a Smithing table in Minecraft to combine your diamond pickaxe with the Nethrite ingot. The process consumes your diamond pickaxe and the Upgrade template to give out a Netherite pickaxe.
Make and Use Diamond Pickaxes in Minecraft
Just like that, you now have access to one of the fastest pickaxes in the game. But, don’t stop yet. The next step is to get a diamond sword in Minecraft and unlock better combat. Yet, focusing on offense isn’t enough to win fights on the best Minecraft PvP servers. You also need to get a shield to keep you safe. Alternatively, getting an Iron Golem to watch your back can also do the job. With that out of the gate, how do you plan to get your diamond pickaxe in Minecraft? Share your favorite method on our Minecraft Discord server and uncover more strategies with the community.