Ore and Gems

The purpose of entering the mine is, of course, to smash open the crystal lodes and gather up as much ore as you can. Once it’s collected, you then bring the ore to Gus for processing. Ore comes in two basic types: metals and gemstones. Though all of it can be sold for profit to Sam (or deposited into a Shipping Bin and sold overnight), hold on to the metals (Iron, Gold, Mithril, etc.) for use in repairing structures and upgrading tools and farm buildings. Soul Gems are the only gemstones that are also required for some upgrades.

The crystals get harder to break the deeper into the mine you get, thus requiring tool upgrades from Gus. And, as discussed previously, make sure you’re upgrading the Hoe at an equal rate, else your search for the ladder will be agonizingly slow as you reach larger and larger levels.

There are twenty-five different types of ore found in the mine, but not all are found in all levels. The deeper levels of the mine don’t just contain harder crystals, but those crystals contain much more valuable ore. From Mithril to Adamantite and Rubies to Diamonds, dig

your way to the deeper levels quickly to be in position to amass a lot of money. Consult the following table for details on which floor a given type of ore can be found. Keep in mind that ore drops are random within the confines of this table. For example, it may take multiple runs through Levels 1-5 to find any Agate.

Crystal Hardness

Ore Found by Mine Level

Though there are times when a villager requests a piece of ore from you, you’ll almost always want to immediately visit Gus after mining (provided Gus’s Smithy is open) and pay him to process the ore into metals and gemstones. Metals (and Stone and Glass) require three pieces of ore in order to be processed into a single unit, but gemstones have a processing ratio of 1:1, making them an excellent source of profit. If necessary, process the most valuable gems first, sell them to Sam, then use your profits to pay the processing fees for the remainder. Depending on how much money you have, and how much ore you need processed, you may need to make quite a few trips back and forth between Gus and Sam. The ability to fast-travel after restoring the lighthouse helps speed this along.

Processed Ore and Mining Profits

Mining Strategies

Though Stone and Glass Material can be found on every level of the mine, some levels are more conducive for finding metals, and others have a greater concentration of gemstones. Depending on the tool you have and the purpose of your visit to the mine, it may make sense to visit a specific level grouping.

Hammer, Seeking Gems: Make repeat runs through Levels 11-15, as they have the least amount of metal types. The gemstones found here are the least valuable, but there’s a lot of them.

Hammer, Seeking Metals: Use the time to focus on Levels 26-30 to gather the most valuable metals while also having a chance to collect a more precious set of gemstones than found on the earlier levels.

Expert Hammer, Seeking Gems: It’s worth repeating trips through Levels 41-45, as these levels have the fewest building material types and the most gemstones. Best of all, you have a chance to earn Diamonds without needing to deal with much larger levels.

Expert Hammer, Seeking Metals: A couple of runs through Levels 46-50 are all you need to load up on Mithril and Orichalcum, as these levels are devoid of gemstones, but have every type of metal except Adamantite.

Master Hammer, Seeking Gems: If it’s money you’re after, head straight to Levels 81-90 of the mine, as they have all the most valuable gemstones and the fewest crystals containing metals. Be sure to check our special corresponding “Get Rich Quick” box.

Master Hammer, Seeking Metals: If it’s Mithril and Orichalcum you need, head to Levels 46-50, but if you’re in need of Adamantite, head to Levels 91-100 to not only gain plenty of Adamantite, but a number of Soul Gems as well.