Introduced as part of Minecraft’s massive 1.17 Caves & Cliffs update, Amethyst can now be found naturally in geodes which spawn underground in player worlds.
But what exactly is the semi-precious gemstone used for? What are its applications?
As of now, Amethyst shards only have three uses in Minecraft after being harvested from the geode. These shards can be used to craft Amethyst blocks for building and decoration, tinted glass for decoration and the blocking of light, and Spyglasses which players can use to view faraway objects.
While this seems like a limited array of uses, Mojang will likely expand on Amethyst’s use in future updates. The Caves & Cliffs update was just the tip of the iceberg for much of the new content.
Minecraft: Breaking down Amethyst uses
Though Amethyst can only be used to craft a few creations in Minecraft at the moment, it’s still worth taking a look into the functions of those individual items for further reference.
A breakdown of the functions of Amethyst blocks, Spyglasses, and tinted glass in Minecraft can be found below:
Amethyst blocks
- Used primarily for decoration.
- Crafted using Amethyst shards. Place the shards in a 2×2 square in a crafting menu in order to produce the block.
- When broken with a pickaxe, the block itself will drop. If broken by any other means, the block will be destroyed without dropping anything.
- Can also be found naturally within geodes accompanying smooth basalt and calcite blocks.
- Makes a unique sound compared to other blocks when interacted with which is much softer compared to other decorative blocks.
Tinted glass
- A visually transparent block that can be seen through while also blocking out light.
- Unlike standard glass, tinted glass will drop as a block when broken by any tool or by hand, giving it more reusability.
- Much like a standard opaque block in Minecraft, tinted glass will completely block light from passing through it.
- Similar to standard glass, mobs will not suffocate if they are encased in tinted glass.
- Crafted using a cross pattern of Amethyst shards with a piece of glass at the center of a crafting menu grid.
Spyglasses
- Similar to the standard player zoom command, the Spyglass can be used to view objects at a reduced field of view. By default, Minecraft’s FOV is set to 70 degrees, and the Spyglass views objects at one tenth of the FOV. This means that a Spyglass can view an object at seven degrees of Minecraft’s standard FOV, which is quite a magnification.
- The Spyglass’ FOV can range from three degrees to twelve.
- A square vignette is applied to the player’s vision while using the Spyglass, somewhat similar to wearing a carved pumpkin. However, the player can remove the vignette on Java Edition by pressing F1.
- While moving with the Spyglass in use, the player’s movement is slowed down heavily.
Read More: Top 5 Minecraft farm ideas for beginners
Check out Sportskeeda Minecraft’s YouTube channel for all the latest game updates.