Ores are mining materials in Crimson Desert gathered from mineral deposits across Pywel. They are essential for gear refinement, crafting, and various production recipes.
Mining Overview
Ores are gathered from mineral deposits found on cliff faces, rock formations, and inside caves throughout Pywel. To mine ore, you need a pickaxe (purchased from Alden's Provisioner's Shop in Hernand for 31 copper coins) or the Force Palm skill. Equip the pickaxe via the quick menu, aim at the deposit until the reticle turns blue, and strike. Ore chunks fall to the ground and may roll downhill, so collect them promptly.
The Mining Knuckledrill is an upgraded mining tool obtained from the Marni Excavatron boss at Karin Quarry. It provides a 10% bonus ore drop chance at base level, increasing to 30% at max refinement. The Knuckledrill also unlocks the Expert Mining trait at full refinement, which is required to gather Flawless Stone.
All ore deposits respawn after approximately 7 in-game days. Mine every deposit on your route during each trip so they reset together, then use the time skip function (sleep at campfires or use Wait) to advance time between farming runs.
Ore Categories
Ores and minerals in Crimson Desert fall into several functional categories based on their primary use:
Metal ores (Iron Ore, Copper Ore, Bismuth Ore, Bloodstone): Used at the blacksmith for refining weapons, plate armor, and metal shields. Iron and Copper handle early-to-mid tiers, while Bismuth and Bloodstone are required for higher-level upgrades.
Precious ores (Gold Ore, Silver Ore): Used for jewelry refinement and for crafting Gold Bars through alchemy or blacksmith smelting. Gold and Silver Ore are found exclusively in caves.
Gem minerals (Azurite, Epidote): Mined from crystal deposits rather than standard ore veins. Used exclusively for jewelry refinement at the blacksmith. Different gems are not interchangeable.
Stone materials (Stone, Fine Stone, Flawless Stone): Used for Greymane Camp construction and expansion. Each quality tier serves distinct building categories and cannot substitute for another.
Alchemy minerals (Brimstone): Rare materials used in alchemy recipes, including Gold Bar crafting and gunpowder production.
Refinement Tiers
Equipment refinement at the blacksmith is divided into tiers that require progressively rarer materials:
Levels 1 to 4: Require standard gathering materials such as Iron Ore and Copper Ore.
Level 5 and above: Each subsequent refinement demands Abyss Artifacts in addition to the usual ore materials.
Levels 8 to 10: Require rare materials like Bloodstone and Flawless Stone, which can only be gathered from specific locations or with specialized tools.
Best Farming Locations
The following areas contain the highest concentration of ore deposits across Pywel:
Howling Hill to Anvil Hill loop (Hernand): The best route for Iron Ore and Copper Ore. Start at Howling Hill's river-facing cliffs, circle to Anvil Hill, and extend north to Unicorn Cliff.
Southeast of Hernand: The best early-game location for Bismuth Ore, with clustered deposits and Bismuth Crabs that drop multiple ores when defeated.
Ravine south of Rocca's Hill: Five Bloodstone veins clustered in a vertical strip, yielding around 10 Bloodstone per run.
Northern Crimson Desert road toward Varnia: The densest concentration of Azurite deposits in the game, with approximately 7 crystal nodes in a straight line.
Three Saints' Falls cave (behind the waterfall, north of Hernand): Contains 25 to 30 Silver Ore in a single deposit.
Gold Mines (revealed by the Gold Vein Map from Karin Quarry): Ten caves across Pywel containing 15 to 20 Gold Ore each.
All Ores in Crimson Desert
Image | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A memory fragment of a man making a vow by a grave. | |
| A mysterious metal said to be a fallen star that hardened after it hit the ground. Rumor has it shimmers with rainbow hu... | |
| Grants a variety of effects when embedded in an equipment socket. Witches found in each region have the power to embed o... | |
| Grants a variety of effects when embedded in an equipment socket. Witches found in each region have the power to embed o... | |
| Grants a variety of effects when embedded in an equipment socket. Witches found in each region have the power to embed o... | |
| A metal ore with excellent ductility and malleability. It conducts heat and electricity well, and the extracted copper i... | |
| An Abyss cell used in Octavius's experiment at the Scholastone. It appears to be a dangerous device capable of wielding... | |
| A blueprint for Abyss Gear: Blessing of the Forest. Seek out witches with mystical powers to craft the Abyss gear. | |
| The most precious golden mineral since ancient times. A symbol of wealth and power, it became something to be displayed... | |
| A silvery-gray metal ore. Tough, yet easy to process, it's commonly used as a refinement material for weapons, nails, a... | |
| A massive power core found within Abyss creatures. Its energy output is so immense that no ordinary means can control it... | |
| A massive power core found within Abyss creatures. Its energy output is so immense that no ordinary means can control it... | |
| A massive power core found within Abyss creatures. Its energy output is so immense that no ordinary means can control it... | |
| A massive power core found within Abyss creatures. Its energy output is so immense that no ordinary means can control it... | |
| A massive power core found within Abyss creatures. Its energy output is so immense that no ordinary means can control it... | |
| A massive power core found within Abyss creatures. Its energy output is so immense that no ordinary means can control it... | |
| A silver mineral prized second only to gold. Its smooth, shimmering crystals of cold light are used in jewelry and ritua... | |
| An Abyss device component infused with powerful magnetism. | |
| An official notice prohibiting entry to Longleaf Forest. |
See Also
Materials - Overview of all crafting materials
Crafting - Crafting system overview
Gear Refinement - Equipment upgrade system
Mining - How to mine ore and stone
Pickaxe - Mining tool locations and upgrades
Mining Knuckledrill - Upgraded mining tool with bonus ore drops
Greymane Camp - Camp construction requiring stone materials
Overview
Ores and minerals are essential crafting resources in Crimson Desert used for weapon upgrades, gear refinement, and jewelry crafting. Mining requires a Pickaxe, which is obtained early in the game from Rhett's Request (one of the Hernand Commissions). Ore veins appear as glowing deposits on cliff faces, rock walls, and inside caves. Interact with a vein to mine it and collect the ore.
The Mining Knuckledrill, a special equipment item rewarded by the House Roberts faction quest Estate in Dismay, increases ore drops by 10% and makes mining significantly more efficient. It is one of the most valuable tools to acquire early in the game.
All Ores and Minerals
Ore | Uses | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Cliff faces and rocky outcroppings across Hernand; dense clusters around Howling Hill and the base of Anvil Hill south of Hernand City | Basic crafting and gear refinement; also used as a Lesser Catalyst in alchemy | Mining Iron Nodes on cliff faces and rock walls | |
Long stretch from Howling Hill to Unicorn Cliff south of Hernand City; also found at the base of Anvil Hill southeast of Hernand | Basic crafting and gear refinement | ||
Widely available across Hernand; rewarded from the Collapsed Stone Tower quest (10x Stone) | Construction and basic crafting | Mining stone deposits; also found in the environment | |
Cliff face west of Rocca's Hill across the river, north of Hernand City; mountainous regions in western Hernand | Jewelry refinement and crafting | Mining Azurite Nodes on cliff faces | |
Across the river from Three Saints Falls | Jewelry upgrades and crafting | Mining Garnet Nodes | |
Hernand Highlands Cavern south of Hernand City; appears as crystals on the ground inside caves | High-tier jewelry crafting and gear refinement | Picking up crystal formations on cave floors (not wall veins) | |
Various locations; rewarded from House Roberts quests (3x Bloodstone from Estate in Dismay) | Common Catalyst in alchemy; gear crafting | Mining Bloodstone Nodes | |
East of Reedwind Fields near Dawn Cave | Mining Epidote Nodes | ||
Various locations across Pywel | Crafting and upgrades | Mining Bismuth Nodes | |
Scolecite | Various locations across Pywel | Crafting material | Mining Scolecite Nodes |
Desert Lake Gold Mine, Sandpeak Gold Mine, Crimson Mountains Gold Mine, Cliffside Gold Mine | High-value crafting; Gold Bar production for Platinum recipe | Mining Gold Nodes in desert-region gold mines |
Best Mining Locations
These are the most efficient spots to farm ores early in the game, based on node density and accessibility.
Anvil Hill (Hernand): The best early-game mining spot. Both Iron and Copper nodes are abundant along the base of the hill south of Hernand City. Easy to reach from town.
Howling Hill (Hernand Highlands): Dense clusters of Iron and Copper nodes along the cliffs. Slightly further from town but higher node density.
Rocca's Hill (north of Hernand): The earliest accessible Azurite location. Check the cliff face to the west, across the river.
Three Saints Falls: Garnet nodes can be found across the river from the falls.
Hernand Highlands Cavern: The go-to location for Diamonds. These appear as crystals on the cave floor rather than wall veins.
Gold Mines (Crimson Desert region): Four gold mines are located in the desert region: Sandpeak, Crimson Mountains, Cliffside, and Desert Lake. These become accessible later in the game.
Ores as Alchemy Catalysts
Some ores double as alchemy catalysts, making them valuable for both crafting and elixir brewing.
Ore | Used In | |
|---|---|---|
Lesser Catalyst | All lesser elixir recipes | |
Common Catalyst | Standard elixir recipes | |
Common Catalyst | Standard elixir recipes |
Mining Tips
Get the Pickaxe first: Complete Rhett's Request in Hernand Commissions to obtain the Pickaxe. Without it, you cannot mine ore veins.
Acquire the Knuckledrill: Complete the House Roberts quest chain (Estate in Dismay) to receive the Mining Knuckledrill, which boosts ore drops by 10%.
Diamonds are on the ground: Unlike other ores that appear as wall veins, diamonds are crystals sitting on the cave floor. Look down, not up.
Mine Gold Ore for Platinum: Gold Bars are a key ingredient in the Platinum recipe (brewed at Witch stations). Farm Gold Ore in the desert-region gold mines to produce this high-value crafting material.