Minecraft updates have added a lot of great content in recent years, ranging from frogs in swamps to the new Deep Dark biome, but not everything that Mojang adds offers much. For instance, copper has been something of a letdown in Minecraft. While oxidizing copper blocks provide some interesting options for building, copper ingots are only used in a couple crafting recipes for niche items. Minecraft fans have been modding copper into the game in creative ways for years, so it's a little disappointing to see the official version do so little. Amethyst is another Minecraft item that feels underserved right now.
Amethyst shards made their debut in Caves and Cliffs Part 1, a Minecraft update where amethyst geodes were a major selling point. Geodes are a worthy addition to the game, providing fans with a variety of unique decorative blocks and a fun surprise to encounter while exploring caves. However, amethyst itself has very few uses right now. Minecraft is so heavily defined by crafting that it seems wasteful not to give amethyst more special uses as an ingredient. Mojang could take the gemstone in a lot of different directions, whether it introduces new crafting recipes or modifies other Minecraft mechanics to implement amethyst.
Amethyst's Future in Minecraft
At the moment, there are only three crafting recipes that use amethyst. Minecraft's spyglass is among them; while the spyglass is a unique tool that's fun to use, it's ultimately more of a luxury than an important item, and since players only need one amethyst to make them, the gemstone doesn't get much out of the relationship. Amethyst can also be used to make amethyst blocks, which are great for decoration, but serve no other purpose. Tinted glass is arguably amethyst's most remarkable crafting recipe in Minecraft thanks to its ability to manipulate light levels, but much like spyglasses, it's generally more of a charming luxury than a consistently useful recipe.
Amethyst shards have very few uses right now, which is a shame, considering just how many uses Mojang has conjured up for the game's other minerals and gemstones. Diamonds in Minecraft speak for themselves, and emeralds are the cornerstone of Minecraft's villager trades, which is the gateway to all kinds of tempting resources. Even gold is a valuable material in Minecraft thanks to its role in netherite, redstone applications, and more. Amethyst deserves to be on the same tier on these versatile materials, especially since geodes are fairly easy to find. If Mojang is going to put amethyst in players' hands, then it needs to give players more reasons to care about it.
Crafting recipes are the most obvious way to make amethyst more useful. For instance, it could imitate lapis lazuli's uses in Minecraft by becoming a new dye ingredient, providing players with a new shade of light purple. That would immediately broaden amethyst's horizons as a decoration resource by a wide margin. Mojang could also tap into ancient beliefs about the gemstone to inspire wholly new items. For instance, Ancient Greeks thought amethyst could ward off intoxication, so Mojang could consider introducing an amethyst accessory or armor item that reduces the duration of negative status effects.
Aside from new crafting recipes, amethyst could find a place in one of Minecraft's other systems. Mojang could make it a secondary currency in Minecraft trading, a new resource for enchanting tables, or an extra item to use on a smithing table when reinforcing items. One way or another, Mojang needs to make amethyst more relevant to Minecraft players. As pretty as geodes can be, the gemstone's limited uses mean players have little reason to actually gather it. Minecraft already has tons of items with niche uses, from copper to nautilus shells. Amethyst deserves to be lifted out of this category.
Minecraft is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.