Glowstone

This article is about the block. For the dust, see Glowstone Dust.

Glowstone

Type	Solid Block
Requirements	None
Physics	No
Transparency	Yes
Luminance	Yes, 15
Blast resistance	1.5
Tool	Any tool
Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)
Flammable	No
Availability	?
First appearance	Alpha 1.2.0
Data value	dec: 89 hex: 59 bin: 01011001

Glowstone is a Block that provides light. It can only be found naturally in The Nether, where it generates in coral-like clusters on the undersides of Netherrack. When mined, Glowstone does not drop a Glowstone block, instead shattering into 2-4 Glowstone Dust, which may then be used to re-craft Glowstone Blocks or boost the effect of a potion.

Glowstone shares many properties with Jack-O-Lanterns and Beacons, with a luminance of 15 (as compared to Torches at 14) and the ability to provide light when submerged under water. Like all non-sunlight light sources, Glowstone Blocks will cause nearby snow and ice to melt.

Glowstone can be mined more efficiently with Silk Touch Enchantment to drop actual Glowstone Blocks during mining, or Fortune Enchantment to drop four Glowstone Dust rather than two or three.

[edit] Harvesting Methods

Glowstone occurs naturally in The Nether. It can be difficult to harvest there, due to high ceilings, sheer cliffs, an abundance of lava, and dangerous mobs. Pillaring up to dense Glowstone clusters is often useful, provided there are no Ghasts in the vicinity. Glowstone sometimes appears beneath low ceilings, which makes things significantly easier. Glowstone can also be collected by directing a Ghast's fire ball at a glowstone deposit, destroying the blocks with the resulting explosion. This could be useful if the glowstone is very hard to reach.

Witches can drop Glowstone Dust, which can be used to craft Glowstone Blocks, though Witch farming can be hazardous.

Priest Villagers will sometimes trade 2-3 Glowstone Blocks in exchange for an Emerald.

[edit] Uses

Glowstone has a higher light level than torches (15 as opposed to 14). Because it is a block, players can replace wall, ceiling, or floor/ground blocks with it for aesthetically pleasing and versatile embedded light sources, which can be especially attractive for lit paths. It can also be attached quickly to existing flat ceilings, unlike Torches. A "lamp post" of sorts can also be fashioned from a fence block with a Glowstone block on top.

Their ability to be submerged in Water affords the ability for docks or harbors to be lit from under water for a pleasing and functional effect that is useful to players in boats that need to see where to stop. Glowstone can be used as a source of light for growing crops at night, and can be placed under irrigation paths to provide an aesthetic ambient glow for crops.

Note however, you cannot place anything on Glowstone except for blocks and redstone, meaning that torches, doors, etc. cannot be placed on it.

When placing Redstone on a Glowstone block, being a transparent block, signals can pass from one block to another diagonally, with Glowstone "blocking but not blocking" it. Redstone wire, even though it may appear to connect up the side of a Glowstone block and to the wire portion on top, will not send a Redstone signal down the Glowstone block. This allows for a one-way signal without requiring a repeater. This makes Glowstone effective for vertical diodes, logic gate designs and space-efficient instant vertical Redstone.

[edit] Crafting

Ingredients	Input » Output
Glowstone Dust

[edit] As a crafting ingredient

Ingredients	Input » Output
Redstone + Glowstone

[edit] Video

[edit] History

Alpha
1.2.0		Added glowstone.
Beta
1.6.6		Reduced crafting recipe from 3×3 to 2×2.
		Increased drop rate of glowstone dust from 1 to 2–4.
		Changed material type from "glass" to "stone": A Pickaxe is now needed to drop items. Redstone, torches, levers, etc. could now be placed on the block. No longer acted as a redstone vertical (downward) diode.
1.7.3		Iron pickaxe or higher was now needed to harvest glowstone.
1.9pre5		Texture changed from to .
Official release
1.0.0		Changed material back to "glass".
1.2.1		Redstone can be placed on glowstone. Redstone wires can now only transmit upwards through it.
		Redstone lamp off-shoot is introduced.
1.3		Glowstone can now be purchased from villagers.
1.5	13w02a	In texture packs, Glowstone uses /textures/blocks/lightgem.png

[edit] Trivia

• Since glowstone blocks become entities when pushed by pistons, this momentarily stops it from giving off light.
• Rarely, glowstone can be found touching the ground if the ceiling it was generated on was extremely low (2-3 blocks of clearance).
• When glowstone is placed 9 or more blocks above ground level (out of its lighting range), glowstone will actually cast a shadow, despite it being a light-emitting block.
• When you break glowstone, it has the same sound effect as breaking glass.
• In the Xbox 360 Edition, because of the lack of glowstone clusters due to small worlds, Blazes drop 0-2 glowstone dust for a renewable source of glowstone.
• Oddly, if a piston contraption is used to move a glowstone block onto a player's head, it will give an x-ray effect. This is useful should one want to find cave systems (though will kill you if done in survival without a partner).
• Glowstone was formerly known as lightstone.

[edit] Gallery

• 

  Naturally occurring vein of glowstone in the Nether.

• 

  The melting pattern of glowstone.

• 

  Purchasing glowstone.

• 

  A diode made using glowstone.

• 

  An example of the new glowstone redstone results.

Redstone
Redstone circuit	Clock circuit Logic circuit Memory circuit Miscellaneous circuits Pulse circuit Transmission circuit
Featured tutorials	Advanced redstone circuits Basic logic gates Block update detectors Mechanisms Piston circuits
Power components	Block of Redstone Button Daylight Sensor Detector Rail Lever Pressure Plate Redstone Torch Trapped Chest Tripwire Hook Tripwire Weighted Pressure Plate
Transmission components	Redstone Comparator Redstone Repeater Redstone Wire
Mechanism components	Command Block Dropper Dispenser Door Fence Gate Hopper Note Block Piston Rail Powered Activator Redstone Lamp TNT Trapdoor
Miscellaneous	Redstone Ore Redstone style guide Help:Schematic