How to find amethyst shards in Minecraft

Wondering how to find amethyst shards in Minecraft? Amethyst is a new material introduced with the first part of the Minecraft Caves & Cliffs update. Of course, we'll have to wait until the second half of the update to explore the new biomes, but there are plenty of other things to be excited about in Mojang's blocky world, such as Minecraft axolotl and the new, vibrant glow berries. 

Minecraft amethyst is a crystalline material with different 'growth' stages and blocks associated with it, which can be a little confusing at first. But this guide should help answer any questions you might have. Here's what we know about Minecraft amethyst, including where to find it and what you can craft with the shards.

How to find Minecraft amethyst shards

Unfortunately, you're not going to find it lying around just anywhere. Instead, you'll need to hunt down an amethyst geode first. The good news is, these are reasonably easy to spot. Geodes are large, spherical structures with an outer layer of basalt. They can usually be found between the bedrock and Y=70, though you might get lucky and see one partially exposed on the surface. 

Once you've located a geode, break through the first two layers to located the amethyst inside. Mining amethyst clusters will drop four amethyst shards with an iron pickaxe or better. 

What you can craft with amethyst shards

Now that you've gone through all that hard work to collect them, you may be wondering what you can make with amethyst shards. Luckily, the answers are right here, so pull up a crafting table and take a look:

Spyglass  

• What you'll need: 1x amethyst shard, 2x copper ingot
• What it does: A spyglass does precisely what you think it does. You can use it to zoom in on specific locations.

Amethyst block 

• What you'll need: 4x amethyst shards
• What it does: Not much. But as a decorative block, it looks pretty cool.

Tinted glass 

• What you'll need: 4x amethyst shards, 1x glass block
• What it does: You can see through tinted glass, but it will block out light. Not to be confused with stained glass.

But what are amethyst clusters and buds? 

Minecraft amethyst comes in various blocks types, and this can seem pretty confusing at first. But once you realise that these mainly refer to the different growth stages, it all becomes a little clearer. 

• Budding amethyst: The 'base' block found inside amethyst geodes. You can't mine these.
• Amethyst bud: Refers to the first three stages of amethyst growth found on budding amethyst. You can obtain these by mining with a Silk Touch enchanted pickaxe.
• Amethyst cluster: The fourth and final stage of growth. These yield amethyst shards when mined.