How to craft a telescope in the Minecraft Caves & Cliffs update

One of the cool things about the Caves & Cliffs update is that we are actually getting a brand-new item that has never had an iteration in the game before: the telescope. The Minecraft telescope will allow the player to look to a far distance through its circular lens.

Collecting resources for a telescope

In order to craft a telescope, you will need both the new ore and the new shard type added to the game: Copper and Amethyst Shards.

Copper is a semi-precious metal that you will most likely be able to find at the same rate as something like lapis lazuli. It is an ore that must be smelted like iron or gold. Amethyst shards, on the other hand, are extremely difficult to find as they are only harvestable from Amethyst Geodes, a new rare underground generation.

Minecraft gives you an auditory aid for locating an Amethyst Geode — if one is nearby, you will hear the sound of bells chiming. Follow the sound to find the geode. To obtain amethyst shard, you must break the amethyst crystals growing inside of the geode. The geode blocks themselves are unobtainable; however, the crystals can grow back over time, so if you do find a geode, it’s good to make a route so you can easily get back to break more shards.

Once you have obtained both amethyst shards and copper, you will have everything you need to craft a telescope. The exact recipe hasn’t been released yet, but it is clear that getting those amethyst shards will be the biggest part of the battle.