The Fortune enchantment increases the number of items you get from mining certain blocks. With Fortune III on your pickaxe, one diamond ore can drop up to four diamonds instead of one, and averages 2.2 diamonds per ore. Fortune has a maximum level of III and works on pickaxes, shovels, axes, and hoes.
Current as of Minecraft 26.2 (Chaos Cubed).
Fortune is one of the best enchantments in Minecraft. This enchant increases the number of drops you get when breaking certain blocks such as ores (including diamonds and emeralds). Typically it is most useful when applied to a pickaxe while mining, and it does not work for every block type.
What Does the Fortune Enchantment Do?
Fortune multiplies the items a block drops when you mine it. Mine a diamond ore with a plain pickaxe and you get one diamond. Mine it with Fortune III and you get one, two, three, or four, with an average of 2.2 over a long mining session.
Fortune only increases drops of “items”, but not placeable “blocks” (like cobblestone). Items like diamonds, redstone, and lapis lazuli found when mining will be increased.
In the past, iron ore and gold ore did not benefit from the fortune enchantment. As of update 1.17 released in 2021, these blocks now drop “raw iron” and “raw gold”, which receive the bonus from the fortune enchantment! The same goes for raw copper, which has its own gear and blocks.
This logic applies to other parts of the game as well. For example, fortune will increase how many apples you get from breaking leaves but not logs. Fortune does not increase experience orb drops at all.
What Is the Max Level of Fortune?
Fortune III is the maximum level. Each level gives you a better chance of extra drops when mining ores. Here is how it works out for diamond ore:
| Level | Chance of Bonus Drops | Average Diamonds Per Ore | Max Diamonds Per Ore |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Fortune | None | 1 | 1 |
| Fortune I | 33% chance of 2x | 1.33 | 2 |
| Fortune II | 25% chance of 2x, 25% chance of 3x | 1.75 | 3 |
| Fortune III | 20% chance each of 2x, 3x, and 4x | 2.2 | 4 |
In other words, a Fortune III pickaxe more than doubles your diamonds over time. Higher levels than III do not exist in survival. You can force Fortune IV or V with commands, but the game will never offer them at a table or in a book.
Minecraft Fortune Drop Rates for Every Ore
The same multiplier applies to every ore, but the results look very different depending on how much the ore drops to begin with. Lapis lazuli and copper already drop several items per block, so Fortune III turns them into huge hauls. Here is the full breakdown:
| Ore | Drops | No Fortune | Fortune I | Fortune II | Fortune III |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond ore | Diamond | 1 | 1.33 (max 2) | 1.75 (max 3) | 2.2 (max 4) |
| Coal ore | Coal | 1 | 1.33 (max 2) | 1.75 (max 3) | 2.2 (max 4) |
| Emerald ore | Emerald | 1 | 1.33 (max 2) | 1.75 (max 3) | 2.2 (max 4) |
| Nether quartz ore | Nether quartz | 1 | 1.33 (max 2) | 1.75 (max 3) | 2.2 (max 4) |
| Iron ore | Raw iron | 1 | 1.33 (max 2) | 1.75 (max 3) | 2.2 (max 4) |
| Gold ore | Raw gold | 1 | 1.33 (max 2) | 1.75 (max 3) | 2.2 (max 4) |
| Amethyst cluster | Amethyst shards | 4 | 5.33 (max 8) | 7 (max 12) | 8.8 (max 16) |
| Copper ore | Raw copper | 3.5 (max 5) | 4.67 (max 10) | 6.1 (max 15) | 7.7 (max 20) |
| Nether gold ore | Gold nuggets | 4 (max 6) | 5.33 (max 12) | 7 (max 18) | 8.8 (max 24) |
| Lapis lazuli ore | Lapis lazuli | 6.5 (max 9) | 8.67 (max 18) | 11.4 (max 27) | 14.3 (max 36) |
| Redstone ore | Redstone dust | 4.5 (max 5) | 5 (max 6) | 5.5 (max 7) | 6 (max 8) |
Redstone is the odd one out. Instead of multiplying, Fortune simply adds one to the maximum drop per level, so you go from 5 redstone to 8. It is still worth using, just not the jackpot that lapis is.
Copper ore is the best value on the list if you need raw material in bulk. A single Fortune III copper ore can drop 20 raw copper, which is why a lot of players keep a Fortune pickaxe handy while working through the copper gear tier.
Fortune Drop Rates for Blocks That Are Not Ores
Fortune also works outside of mining. The numbers here are less dramatic, but a few of them are very useful to know:
| Block | Drops | No Fortune | Fortune III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel | Flint | 10% chance | 100% chance |
| Nether wart (mature) | Nether wart | 3 average | 4.5 average |
| Sweet berry bush | Sweet berries | 2.5 average | 4 average |
| Melon | Melon slices | 5 average | 6.4 average (capped at 9) |
| Sea lantern | Prismarine crystals | 2.5 average | 3.8 average (capped at 5) |
| Glowstone | Glowstone dust | 3 average | 3.5 average (capped at 4) |
| Creaking heart | Resin clumps | 1 to 3 | up to 6 |
| Wheat, carrots, potatoes, beetroot | Seeds and crops | 2.7 average | 4.4 average |
| Leaves | Saplings | 5% chance | 10% chance |
| Oak and dark oak leaves | Apples | 0.5% chance | 0.83% chance |
The gravel one is the standout. Flint is normally a 10% drop, which is painful when you need arrows. A Fortune III shovel makes flint drop from every single block of gravel you break.
Glowstone, melons, and sea lanterns all have a cap, so you can never get more than a full block’s worth back. Do not expect Fortune to turn glowstone into a renewable resource.
Which Tools Can Have Fortune?
Fortune can be applied to four tools: pickaxes, shovels, axes, and hoes. Each one uses it differently.
| Tool | What Fortune Does | Worth It? |
|---|---|---|
| Pickaxe | More drops from every ore, plus amethyst clusters | Yes, the best use by far |
| Shovel | Better flint chance from gravel (guaranteed at Fortune III) | Yes, if you need flint |
| Axe | More saplings, apples, and sticks from leaves, more drops from crops | Situational |
| Hoe | More seeds and drops from crops and leaves | Situational |
The material does not matter. A copper pickaxe with Fortune III gives exactly the same drops as a netherite one. Better materials only mine faster and last longer, so there is no reason to wait for netherite before you start using Fortune.
What Blocks Does Fortune Work On?
Fortune works on:
- All ores: coal, diamond, emerald, lapis lazuli, redstone, nether quartz, nether gold, and the raw metals from iron, gold, and copper ore.
- Amethyst clusters.
- Gravel, for a better flint chance. Fortune III makes flint a guaranteed drop.
- Crops and seeds, such as wheat, carrots, potatoes, and nether wart.
- Leaves, for more saplings, sticks, and apples.
- Glowstone, sea lanterns, and melons, but these have caps so you never get more than a full block’s worth.
- Creaking hearts, which drop 1 to 3 resin clumps normally and up to 6 with Fortune III.
- Gilded blackstone, for a better chance at gold nuggets.
- Twisting and weeping vines, which drop themselves 100% of the time at Fortune III.
Does Fortune Work On These? A Quick Answer Table
These are the blocks players ask about most, and the answer is no for all of them. Here is why:
| Block or item | Does Fortune help? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Ancient debris | No | It always drops exactly one block, with or without Fortune |
| Netherite ingots | No | Netherite comes from smelting scrap, not from mining a block |
| Stone, cobblestone, deepslate | No | Blocks that drop themselves are never multiplied |
| Obsidian | No | Drops itself, one for one |
| Sculk blocks | No | Drop themselves and give XP, which Fortune never affects |
| Mob spawners | No | Drop nothing at all when mined |
| Mob drops | No | Fortune only affects blocks you mine, never kills. Looting is the enchant for mobs |
| Experience orbs | No | Fortune never increases XP from any source |
| Sulfur and cinnabar (26.2) | No | Stone type blocks from the Chaos Cubed drop that always drop themselves |
| Any ore mined with Silk Touch | No | You cannot have both enchants, and Silk Touch always wins |
Fortune vs Silk Touch: Which Should You Pick?
Fortune and Silk Touch cannot be combined on the same tool, so you have to pick one. Fortune multiplies item drops, while Silk Touch makes blocks drop themselves, like stone instead of cobblestone or the ore block itself instead of its contents.
For most players, Fortune III on your main pickaxe is the better pick because it directly multiplies diamonds, emeralds, and other valuables. Keep a second pickaxe with Silk Touch for special blocks like ender chests, glass, and ice. If you mine an ore with Silk Touch, you can always place it down later and mine it again with Fortune.
How to Get The Fortune Enchantment
The Fortune enchantment is not that rare and can be frequently found on the enchanting table. Typically, you will see Fortune III appear on tools once you are level 30 in your experience bar. Lower levels of Fortune can show up much earlier, so do not ignore a Fortune I pickaxe in the early game. Since enchants reset when you enchant an item at the table, try enchanting any item to reset the list and try again until fortune appears.
Don’t forget to surround your enchanting table with bookshelves as this will increase the quality of enchants you see on the list. You will want at least 15 bookshelves surrounding your table for maximum effectiveness.
You can also find Fortune enchantment books in chest loot, from fishing, or by trading with a librarian villager. Combine the book with your tool in an anvil to apply it. If a librarian is not offering Fortune, break and replace their lectern to reroll their trades, then keep rerolling until Fortune appears. Two Fortune II books combined in an anvil also give you Fortune III, which is often cheaper than waiting for a level 30 roll.
Fortune in Java and Bedrock Edition
Fortune works the same way on both editions for every ore and block listed above, so the drop tables apply no matter which version you play.
There are two small extras on Bedrock. Grass and ferns can drop up to two more wheat seeds with Fortune, and large flowers like sunflowers and lilacs are affected by Fortune when you break the bottom half. Neither of these applies on Java, and neither is worth building a farm around.
Tips
- Since fortune does not help in any way when mining regular stone blocks, consider using a different pickaxe with efficiency and unbreaking to mine stone and then switch to the fortune pickaxe only for diamonds, redstone, gold, iron, coal, emeralds, quartz, and lapis lazuli.
- If you find diamonds before you have a Fortune pickaxe, mark the spot with a torch and come back later. Mining them early costs you more than a diamond per ore on average.
- Put Fortune III on a shovel before your next arrow run. Guaranteed flint from gravel is the fastest fix for an empty arrow supply.
- Add Unbreaking III and Mending to your Fortune pickaxe so it lasts. A tool this useful is worth keeping alive, and Mending repairs it while you mine.
- For more information on Fortune, check out this YouTube video.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the max level of Fortune in Minecraft?
Fortune III is the maximum level. You can get it directly from a level 30 enchantment at an enchanting table surrounded by 15 bookshelves, or by combining two Fortune II books in an anvil. Higher levels give better chances of bonus drops from ores.
How many diamonds can you get with Fortune III?
Fortune III can drop up to 4 diamonds from a single diamond ore block. There is a 20% chance each of doubling, tripling, or quadrupling the drop, which works out to an average of 2.2 diamonds per ore instead of 1.
Does Fortune 3 work on netherite?
No. Ancient debris always drops one block regardless of your enchantments, and netherite ingots are crafted rather than mined. No enchantment in Minecraft increases netherite, so the only way to get more is to find more ancient debris.
Does Fortune work on iron and gold?
Yes. Since update 1.17, iron ore and gold ore drop raw iron and raw gold, and Fortune multiplies those drops just like diamonds. The same applies to copper ore, which can drop large amounts of raw copper with Fortune III.
What level do you need for Fortune III?
You need experience level 30 and 15 bookshelves around your enchanting table for Fortune III to appear reliably. Fortune I and II can show up at lower levels, and two Fortune II books combined in an anvil also produce Fortune III.
Does Fortune work on gravel?
Yes, and it is one of the best uses for it. Gravel normally drops flint 10% of the time. Fortune I raises that to about 14%, Fortune II to 25%, and Fortune III makes flint drop from every block of gravel you break.
Can you put Fortune and Silk Touch on the same pickaxe?
No. Fortune and Silk Touch are mutually exclusive, so a tool can only have one of them. Most players put Fortune III on their main pickaxe and keep a second Silk Touch pickaxe for blocks like ender chests, glass, and ice.
Does Fortune give more XP?
No. Fortune only increases item drops, never experience orbs. If you want more XP from mining, the amount dropped by ores stays the same no matter what enchantments your pickaxe has.
That concludes our guide to the Fortune enchantment in Minecraft! Do you have any suggestions or additions? Leave a comment below!
