Ore Mining Guide — Tears of the Kingdom

Mining ores and gems generates both crafting materials and rupees. Gems power Great Fairy armor upgrades, and surplus ore sells for significant rupee income. This guide covers every ore type, the best farming routes, Depths Zonaite mining, and sell vs. keep thresholds.

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Ore Deposit Basics

Ore deposits appear as dark grey or brown crystalline boulders embedded in cliff faces, cave walls, and Depths floors. They look distinct from regular boulders — more faceted, sometimes glowing (Luminous Stone), or streaked with color.

How to break ore deposits:

• Two-handed hammers — wide swing hits multiple deposits simultaneously
• Bomb Flowers — fuse to arrows; one detonation breaks 3–5 nearby nodes at once (most efficient)
• Yunobo's Charge — rolling through ore nodes breaks them on contact; great for Eldin runs
• Rock Hammer (dropped by Stone Talus) — has a built-in mining modifier for extra material yield
• Any heavy weapon — Lynel Crusher or Sledgehammer with strong fuse works well

Bomb Flower arrow trick: Equip a bow, fuse a Bomb Flower to your arrow, and fire at a cluster of ore nodes. The explosion radius breaks 4–6 nodes simultaneously — easily 10× more efficient than melee mining.

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Complete Gem & Ore Reference

Surface Gems

| Gem | Sell Value | Rarity | Primary Uses | |-----|:----------:|:------:|-------------| | Flint | 2 rupees | Very Common | Campfire lighting, basic fuse | | Amber | 10 rupees | Very Common | Armor upgrades (Zora, Climbing, early sets) | | Opal | 60 rupees | Common | Zora Armor upgrades, Sidon questline | | Luminous Stone | 70 rupees | Uncommon | Malanya offerings, lighting, quest rewards | | Topaz | 180 rupees | Uncommon | Armor upgrades, Thunder Helm, jewelry | | Ruby | 210 rupees | Uncommon | Armor upgrades, fire-themed upgrades | | Sapphire | 260 rupees | Rare | Armor upgrades, ice-themed upgrades | | Diamond | 500 rupees | Rare | High-end armor upgrades, Master Sword enhancement |

Depths Ores

| Ore | Source | Primary Uses | |-----|--------|-------------| | Zonaite | Zonaite deposits (red crystals) | Construct upgrades, Purah Pad upgrades, energy cell crafting | | Large Zonaite | Large Zonaite deposits | Higher-tier Construct gear, energy cells (bulk) | | Poes | Blue flame orbs near Lightroots | Bargainer Statue purchases — Depths armor, Phantom Set |

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Gem Uses — What Each Ore Is For

Amber

Armor upgrade role: Hylian Set, Climbing Set, Zora Set (early), Archaic Set. Also used for Amber-colored jewelry and cosmetic upgrades.

Quantity needed: Collect at minimum 50 Amber before visiting Great Fairies. You'll go through 30–40 Amber in the first round of armor upgrades alone.

Opal

Armor upgrade role: Zora Armor (significant Opal cost at level 3–4 upgrades), Sidon quest.

Where to farm: Lanayru Wetlands ore deposits have a high Opal spawn rate. Farm the cave networks along the river below Zora's Domain specifically for Opal.

Topaz

Armor upgrade role: Rubber Armor upgrades, Thunder Helm, desert-themed armor. Topaz also sells well — 180 rupees each is excellent mid-game income.

Where to farm: Akkala region and Gerudo Highlands ore deposits trend toward Topaz.

Ruby

Armor upgrade role: Flamebreaker Armor upgrades, Ember Set. Also used in specific Great Fairy upgrade chains.

Where to farm: Death Mountain and Eldin Canyon ore deposits have the highest Ruby concentration.

Sapphire

Armor upgrade role: Snowquill Armor upgrades, Frostbite Set. Sapphires also sell for 260 rupees — second most valuable gem after Diamond.

Where to farm: Hebra snowfields caves and Mount Lanayru ore veins.

Diamond

Armor upgrade role: Required for level 4 upgrades on the best armor sets (Fierce Deity, Royal Guard, Phantom). Also enhances the Master Sword — attach a Diamond to the blade for a temporary attack boost.

Where to farm: Diamond drops from any ore deposit but at ~1–3% rate. The best consistent Diamond sources are: Stone Talus drops (always drop gems), Depths ore routes, and large ore deposits on Death Mountain.

Never sell Diamonds early. You need 20+ for high-end upgrades. Farm 30 before selling any surplus.

Luminous Stone

Special uses: Feed 10 Luminous Stones to Malanya (Horse God) for a horse revival ritual discount. Also used in the "Luminous Stones and Princess" side quest in Zora's Domain. Luminous Stone is NOT used for Great Fairy upgrades — it is specifically quest/Malanya currency.

Where to farm: Exclusively in the Depths — they grow alongside Brightcap mushrooms near Lightroot clusters. The Abandoned Korok Forest Mine is particularly Luminous Stone-rich.

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Best Mining Locations — Surface

Death Mountain / Eldin Canyon ★★★★★

The single richest ore area in the game. The volcanic slopes of Death Mountain are covered in dense ore clusters.

What you find: Rubies (high rate), Amber, Flint, occasional Diamonds, Topaz.

Access: Eldin Canyon Skyview Tower → glide northeast. Requires Flamebreaker Armor or Fireproof Elixirs.

Route: Start at Southern Mine → climb northwest along the crater rim → descend into the volcanic gorge → return via Goron City road. One full circuit yields 200–400 rupees in ore before selling.

Yunobo bonus: Use Yunobo's rolling charge on the dense ore clusters here — you're in his home region, and his ability breaks nodes on contact while you're riding him.

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Akkala Highlands & Citadel ★★★★☆

The rocky terrain around Akkala Citadel Ruins has high ore density. Less heat than Eldin, no resistance gear needed.

What you find: Topaz (high rate), Amber, Ruby, occasional Sapphire.

Access: Ulri Mountain Skyview Tower → glide southwest.

Route: Akkala Citadel ruins perimeter → caves beneath the citadel → Ulri Mountain cave network. Two-handed weapons work well here as the deposits are spread on open cliff faces.

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Lanayru Wetlands ★★★★☆

High Opal concentration alongside standard gem drops. Essential for Zora Armor upgrades.

What you find: Opal (highest rate in game), Amber, occasional Topaz.

Access: Upland Zorana Skyview Tower → descend to the wetlands below.

Route: Follow the river caves from Zora's Domain toward Ruto Mountain. Three named caves in this stretch each contain 4–6 ore deposits.

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Hebra Snowfields ★★★★☆

Best Sapphire source. Cold resistance (Snowquill Armor) required.

What you find: Sapphire (high rate), Amber, Flint.

Access: Pikida Stonegrove Skyview Tower → glide west across the snowfield.

Route: Hebra Peak cave network → Kopeeki Drifts caves → Pikida Ice Caves. High Sapphire density in glacier-carved cave walls.

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Gerudo Highlands ★★★☆☆

Mixed ore with decent Topaz and Amber. Requires cold resistance at altitude.

What you find: Topaz, Amber, occasional Ruby.

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Caves (Any Region)

Every named cave in Hyrule contains 3–8 ore deposits. Some have 15+ deposits in larger cave networks. Check every cave you enter — the combined yield from systematic cave exploration often exceeds dedicated mining routes.

Cave priority for ore:

• Akkala Ancient Shrine cave network
• Eldin canyon caves (volcanic)
• Lanayru river caves
• Hyrule Ridge cave system

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Depths Mining — Zonaite & Luminous Stone

The Depths has its own ore system distinct from surface gems.

Zonaite

Red crystalline deposits on the Depths floor and walls. Zonaite is the crafting currency for:

• Energy Well upgrades (increases battery capacity for Zonai devices)
• Construct weapons and gear at Construct Factories
• Purah Pad camera/sensor upgrades (via Robbie)

Zonaite farming route:

1. Drop into the Depths via any chasm
2. Activate Lightroots as safe ground while farming
3. The Abandoned Akkala Mine (beneath Akkala Highlands) is the highest Zonaite density zone
4. Abandoned Lanayru Mine (beneath Lanayru Wetlands) second-highest
5. Each full Zonaite route yields 60–100 Zonaite + 10–20 Large Zonaite

Large Zonaite drops from large red crystals — they look like upright pointed pillars glowing red. These give 3× Zonaite per break. Prioritize large deposits.

Luminous Stone (Depths Only)

Found near Lightroot clusters, often alongside Brightcap mushrooms. Gathers separately from regular gem mining. Collect every Luminous Stone you pass — it has no alternate farming method.

Luminous Stone spawn density: Highest in the Korok Forest Depths area, Lanayru Depths, and beneath the Akkala Highlands.

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Efficient Mining Strategies

Bomb Flower Arrow Method (Fastest)

Fuse Bomb Flowers to arrows. Fire at the center of an ore deposit cluster. One explosion breaks 3–6 nodes simultaneously. Carry 20+ Bomb Flowers per mining run. Bomb Flowers are found in caves, Depths walls, and sold by traveling merchants.

Blood Moon Cycle Farming

All ore deposits respawn at Blood Moon. Track your Blood Moon timing (typically every few real-time hours of play) and run a full Death Mountain circuit immediately after each Blood Moon.

Stone Talus Drops

Stone Talus mini-bosses always drop 2–4 gems on death, including Diamond at low probability. Farming Taluses across Hyrule (there are 40+) is one of the most consistent Diamond sources.

Best Talus farming area: Akkala Highlands has 4–5 Stone Talus spawn locations within a short flying radius from Ulri Mountain Tower. Loop them after each Blood Moon.

Rock Octorok Repair for Mining Weapons

Rock Octoroks (Eldin region) inhale weapons and return them repaired. Use this to keep a dedicated mining hammer at full durability — a Lynel Crusher fused with a Rock Hammer bonus can last 200+ ore breaks with periodic Octorok repair.

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Sell vs. Keep Thresholds

Always keep (minimum reserves):

| Ore | Keep Reserve | Reason | |-----|:-----------:|--------| | Amber | 60 | Multiple early armor upgrades consume 30+ | | Opal | 30 | Zora Armor level 3–4 costs 30+ Opal | | Topaz | 20 | Rubber Armor upgrades | | Ruby | 20 | Flamebreaker upgrades | | Sapphire | 20 | Snowquill upgrades | | Diamond | 30 | Level 4 armor upgrades, never sell early | | Luminous Stone | 20 | Malanya discounts + quests | | Zonaite | 100 | Energy Well upgrades |

Sell surplus above reserve:

• Amber over 100 units (10 rupees each, sell freely)
• Opal over 60 (60 rupees each — good income)
• Topaz over 40 (180 rupees each — excellent income)
• Ruby over 40 (210 rupees each)
• Sapphire over 40 (260 rupees each)
• Diamond: only sell after you have 30+ reserve (500 rupees each)

One Death Mountain circuit yields approximately 2,000–5,000 rupees after keeping your reserves, depending on the number of ore deposits and gem luck.

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Rupee Income by Mining Route

| Route | Time | Est. Rupees | Difficulty | |-------|------|:-----------:|:----------:| | Death Mountain full circuit | 20 min | 3,000–5,000 | Flamebreaker needed | | Akkala Citadel perimeter | 15 min | 1,500–2,500 | None | | Lanayru Wetlands caves | 15 min | 1,000–2,000 | None | | Hebra cave network | 20 min | 1,500–2,500 | Cold resist needed | | Depths Akkala Mine | 25 min | Zonaite only + 1,000 gems | Depths kit |

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Tips

• Two-handed hammers swing wider than swords — hit 2–3 deposits with one swing
• Yunobo's Charge is the fastest hands-free ore breaking method in Eldin region
• Mark caves on your map with the cave pin the moment you discover ore-rich ones
• Brightcap + Luminous Stone co-spawn in Depths — collect both simultaneously
• Don't sell Diamonds early — you WILL regret it when you hit level-4 armor upgrades
• Opal priority: Zora Armor requires more Opal than almost any other armor set — farm Lanayru before the Great Fairy visit
• Flint: Nearly worthless to sell (2 rupees) — use for campfire lighting instead, save your inventory slots

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Related: Rupee Farming Guide | Great Fairy Upgrade Guide | Armor Sets Guide