Block of the Week: Prismarine

Deep beneath the sea, shimmering in the sand, stand the mysterious ocean monuments - elaborate ziggurats, patrolled by hostile guardians, and made from precious prismarine.

You’ll need to be properly equipped to get down there - potions of water breathing or helmets enchanted with Respiration are essential. That way you won’t need to worry about your air supply, and Respiration will help you see better underwater, too.

But you won’t be able to snaffle up the monument’s resources even then - lurking Elder Guardians will cast Mining Fatigue on you, leaving you unable to heave your pickaxe effectively. You’ll have to seek them in the labyrinth and eliminate them one by one to be free of its effects. Alternatively, milk is a useful antidote - just make sure you pack a few buckets of the stuff!

Then, finally, you can start chipping away at the prismarine. There are other precious items to be had down here, too - each ocean monument hides a stash of eight gold bricks - but prismarine is an attractive building material in itself. In its basic form, it shimmers many different colours, from aquamarine to indigo, and it can be crafted into more ornate bricks, or, with the addition of an ink sac, a dark, chequed variant.

How to craft it:

Want a guide to every block? Check out the Blockopedia! Every cube catalogued!