Copper is one of the metals in Minecraft that you can find and mine underground. However, this resource works differently from typical iron and gold because you cannot craft tools or weapons with it. So what is copper useful for? Well, just like in the real world, copper has exciting properties that make it great for building. The oxidation process is particularly noteworthy, as Minecraft once again shows how much it is inspired by real-world phenomena. Today, we will take a closer look at copper, its various building blocks, and the oxidation process!
Finding and Mining Copper: Locations and Tips
You can find copper, like all other metals in the overworld, in the form of ores underground. You will encounter copper veins in both regular stone and deepslate, and you can mine them with at least a stone pickaxe. Copper chunks are then dropped, which you can smelt into copper ingots in a furnace. Copper ore can be found between heights -16 and 112, with the most common occurrence at Y-level 43. If you’re specifically looking for copper, it is more prevalent in dripstone caves.
Like iron, copper also has long veins from which you can extract hundreds to thousands of copper ores and raw copper. These copper veins can be identified by red granite blocks and sometimes raw copper blocks mixed with a large amount of ores. You can find these veins above Y-level 0, but they can also extend deeper.
You can obtain more copper by using the Fortune enchantment. This allows you to get up to 20 raw copper from a single ore. With “Silk Touch,” you can mine the ores themselves and either smelt them or store them for later.
Creative Building Ideas with Copper Blocks
As mentioned earlier, you cannot craft tools like pickaxes from smelted copper ingots. However, copper is incredibly versatile when it comes to building! The reddish-orange blocks have a truly unique color and come in many different variations.
Raw Copper Block: A block that resembles cobblestone and shows both orange and green hues. You can craft it from nine raw copper and use it as decoration.
Copper Block: You can craft this block from nine regular copper ingots and also use it as decoration. It has a smooth appearance, with four nails in each corner, making it perfect for an industrial style!
Cut Copper Block: A variation of the regular copper block, divided into smaller squares, creating a tile pattern. It is crafted from four regular copper blocks or with a stonecutter. Cut copper also has slabs and stairs that you can craft. This block is excellent for decoration!
Chiseled Copper Block: A decorative block crafted from two cut copper slabs. Its pattern also suggests an industrial use.
Copper Lantern: You can craft this beautiful lamp from three copper blocks, one redstone, and one blaze rod! It can be turned on with a redstone signal and glows in a fascinating pattern. The more oxidized the block is, the weaker the light.
Copper Grate: You can craft this unique block from four copper blocks, which is meant to represent a kind of grid pattern. The block functions similarly to glass in that it lets light through.
Copper Door/Copper Trapdoor: Like with iron, you can craft both doors and trapdoors from copper ingots. The functionality is similar to other metals.
Some of these copper blocks can also be found in the trial chambers. We’ve written a whole article about this (Minecraft Trial Chambers: How to Find & Master Them!) if you want to take on this challenge.
Oxidation of Copper: How It Works and How to Stop It
However, copper doesn’t always remain orange and changes color over time if you don’t do anything about it. This is due to the oxidation process, where copper reacts with air, resulting in a chemical reaction. This changes the color of orange copper to a greenish or turquoise hue.
In our world, the Statue of Liberty in New York City’s harbor is probably the best example of this. While the statue was also orange in its early months, it changed over the years to become the green statue we know today. Unfortunately, the process is not documented due to the exclusive use of black-and-white photography at the time.
In Minecraft, there are four stages of oxidation:
Normal Stage: Unoxidized, orange color
Tarnished Stage: Slightly oxidized, somewhat greenish hue
Weathered Stage: Advanced oxidation, noticeably green hue
Oxidized Stage: Fully oxidized, green/turquoise hue
It takes about 15 to 30 minutes to transition between stages. The more air between individual copper blocks, the faster they oxidize.
Manually Stopping or Reversing Oxidation
If you don’t want your copper blocks to weather or wish to keep them in a specific stage, there are ways to prevent it! You can stop oxidation with honeycombs. This can be done either by right-clicking on the respective copper block or directly in the crafting interface. Essentially, you’re applying a protective layer of wax. You can reverse the process with an axe. Similar to stripping bark from logs, you can remove the oxidized layer from copper and maintain your desired stage.
Additional Uses: From Telescope to Armor
Copper is not only good for decoration but is also needed in some other recipes. Even though you can’t craft axes or swords from it, you should always have some copper ingots on hand! Some of the items are really useful and belong in your inventory or on your buildings.
Telescope: You can craft a telescope with an amethyst shard and two copper ingots. This allows you to better overlook your Minecraft world and observe things from afar.
Brush: A brush can be crafted from a feather, a copper ingot, and a stick. It is useful for archaeology and armadillos. We’ve already written articles on both topics!
Lightning Rod: You can craft a lightning rod from three copper ingots to protect your structures from natural lightning strikes. This prevents, for example, wooden huts from accidentally burning down.
Armor Decoration: Use copper ingots in combination with smithing templates to create cool armor with patterns. Copper gives you an orange hue.
Conclusion
Copper is an incredibly versatile block in Minecraft, often overlooked or completely ignored by many. However, it can be used to create many beautiful building blocks that change color over days and weeks in the game due to oxidation. This alone should be an incentive to use copper here and there! Rent your own Minecraft server and embark on a quest with friends to find massive copper veins to try out this mechanic. And if you want to maintain a specific stage, use honeycombs or axes for controlled handling of copper!
