Nether Quartz — Minecraft block

Nether Quartz

Nether Quartz is a smooth white mineral mined from Nether Quartz Ore in the Nether, used to craft comparators, observers, and quartz blocks.

Block ID minecraft:quartz
Mod Vanilla
Game versions
1.21

Description

Nether Quartz is a smooth, cream-white mineral obtained by mining Nether Quartz Ore, which generates abundantly inside netherrack throughout the Nether dimension. Any pickaxe from wood to netherite breaks the ore and drops one Nether Quartz, while the Fortune III enchantment multiplies the yield up to four and Silk Touch collects the ore block itself. Mining Nether Quartz Ore also rewards experience orbs, making the Nether a fast source of both crystals and levels. Nether Quartz became renewable in Minecraft 1.16 because piglins hand it over when bartering with gold ingots.

Nether Quartz is the key ingredient in Minecraft's redstone toolkit: one Nether Quartz plus three redstone torches and three stone crafts a Redstone Comparator, and Nether Quartz also goes into observers and daylight detectors. Four Nether Quartz arranged in a 2x2 grid form a Block of Quartz, the base for quartz pillars, chiseled quartz, quartz bricks, slabs, and stairs prized for clean white palaces and modern builds. Builders favor Nether Quartz for bright, marble-like surfaces that contrast sharply against dark netherrack or deep-stone interiors.

Java & Bedrock Guide

How to get and use Nether Quartz in Minecraft

  1. 1

    Travel to the Nether

    Build a nether portal and step through to reach the Nether, where Nether Quartz Ore is embedded in the netherrack walls.

  2. 2

    Mine Nether Quartz Ore

    Break the ore with any pickaxe to drop one Nether Quartz; add Fortune III for up to four per block and collect the bonus experience.

  3. 3

    Craft a Redstone Comparator

    Place one Nether Quartz in the center, three redstone torches above and below the center column, and three stone along the bottom row.

  4. 4

    Make a Block of Quartz

    Fill a 2x2 crafting grid with four Nether Quartz to create a Block of Quartz for pillars, bricks, slabs, and stairs.

Renewable via bartering

Since Minecraft 1.16, piglins can give Nether Quartz when you barter gold ingots, so Nether Quartz is renewable without mining ore.

Used in crafts

  • Observer
  • Daylight Detector
  • Redstone Comparator
  • Block of Quartz
  • Diorite
  • Granite

Related blocks

Frequently asked questions

Where do you find Nether Quartz?

Nether Quartz drops from Nether Quartz Ore, which generates in netherrack all over the Nether dimension.

What pickaxe mines Nether Quartz Ore?

Any pickaxe, from wooden to netherite, mines Nether Quartz Ore and drops one Nether Quartz; the ore cannot be mined by hand.

Is Nether Quartz renewable?

Yes. Since Minecraft 1.16, piglins can give Nether Quartz when bartering with gold ingots, making it renewable.

What can you craft with Nether Quartz?

Nether Quartz crafts redstone comparators, observers, daylight detectors, and the Block of Quartz with its pillar, brick, slab, and stair variants.

Does Fortune work on Nether Quartz Ore?

Yes. The Fortune enchantment increases the drop from one up to four Nether Quartz per ore block.

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