How Many Diamonds To Upgrade To Netherite? The Complete 1.20+ Guide To Mastering Your Gear

The evolution of Minecraft’s endgame has reached a point where "being rich" in-game is no longer just about having a stack of shiny blue gems. With the release of the Trails & Tales update (1.20), the barrier to entry for the strongest gear in the game has shifted significantly. Players are no longer asking simply how to find Ancient Debris; the new burning question is how many diamonds to upgrade to netherite effectively without draining their entire vault.

This shift has transformed the way survival players approach the mid-to-late game transition. Previously, diamonds were merely the precursor to Netherite. Now, they are the essential fuel required to maintain and expand your Netherite collection. Whether you are a veteran returning after a break or a new player hitting the obsidian ceiling for the first time, understanding the modern math of smithing is crucial for your survival and efficiency.

In this guide, we will break down the exact costs, the strategic changes to the Smithing Table, and the most efficient ways to gather the resources needed to reach that coveted dark-gray finish on your armor and tools.

Calculating the Cost: How Many Diamonds to Upgrade to Netherite in Minecraft 1.20 and Beyond?

If you haven't played since the older versions of the game, you might remember a time when upgrading was "free" once you had the Netherite Ingot. Those days are gone. To answer the question of how many diamonds to upgrade to netherite, we first have to look at the Smithing Template system.

In the current version of Minecraft, you cannot simply combine a Diamond Chestplate and a Netherite Ingot. You now require a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template. While you can find these templates in Bastion Remnants, they are consumed upon use. This is where the diamond cost comes into play. To avoid raiding dozens of dangerous bastions, most players choose to duplicate their templates.

The recipe to duplicate a single Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template requires 7 Diamonds. Therefore, if you are looking to upgrade a single piece of gear and you want to keep a template for future use, the cost is 7 diamonds per piece. If you are upgrading a standard "full set" of four armor pieces, you are looking at a minimum of 28 diamonds just for the templates, on top of the diamonds already used to craft the base gear.

Why the Netherite Upgrade Process Changed: The Role of Smithing Templates

The introduction of Smithing Templates was a controversial but intentional move by developers to make Netherite feel like a true achievement. In previous versions, players could bypass the "Diamond Era" of their world very quickly. By forcing a high diamond cost through templates, the game ensures that diamonds remain a valuable currency throughout the entire playthrough.

This change means that the question of how many diamonds to upgrade to netherite is now linked to your ability to explore and mine. You are no longer just looking for a few veins of diamonds to make your pickaxe; you are looking for massive quantities to sustain your upgrades. This has revitalized the importance of Fortune III enchantments and deep-slate mining, as the demand for diamonds has effectively tripled for endgame players.

The Anatomy of the Smithing Template Duplication Recipe

To duplicate a template, you need:

1 Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template (The original)7 Diamonds1 Block of Netherrack

This recipe yields two templates. This mechanic is the primary reason why players find themselves calculating how many diamonds to upgrade to netherite so carefully. Every time you upgrade a tool or a piece of armor, you are essentially "spending" 7 diamonds to replenish the template you just used.

Total Diamond Count for a Full Set of Netherite Armor and Tools

To provide a comprehensive answer for players planning their endgame progression, we need to look at the total investment. Most players don't stop at just a chestplate; they want the full kit. Let’s break down the math for a standard "Endgame Loadout."

The Armor Set (Helmet, Chestplate, Leggings, Boots)

To craft a full set of Diamond Armor, you need 24 diamonds. To upgrade this set to Netherite using the duplication method for templates, you will need an additional 28 diamonds (7 per piece).

Total for Armor: 52 Diamonds.

The Tool Set (Pickaxe, Sword, Axe, Shovel, Hoe)

A standard set of five tools requires 11 diamonds to craft. Upgrading these five tools using templates will cost 35 diamonds.

Total for Tools: 46 Diamonds.

When you combine these, the answer to how many diamonds to upgrade to netherite for a complete "perfect" inventory is a staggering 98 diamonds. This does not include any diamonds lost to lava, used for Enchanting Tables, or used for decorative Smithing Templates (Armor Trims).

Where to Find the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template

Before you can even worry about how many diamonds to upgrade to netherite, you have to find your first template. This is arguably the most difficult part of the modern Minecraft progression. These templates are found exclusively in Bastion Remnants in the Nether.

There are two main ways to acquire them:

Standard Chests: Most chests in a Bastion have a roughly 10% chance to contain a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template.Treasure Rooms: If you find a "Treasure" room variant of a Bastion (the ones with a central lava pool and many gold blocks), the chests at the bottom are guaranteed to contain at least one template.

Because Bastions are filled with Piglin Brutes and are notoriously difficult to navigate, many players choose to find exactly one template and then rely on the diamond duplication method for the rest of their needs. This is why the diamond cost is the metric most players care about.

The Math Behind Duplicating Templates with Diamonds

To optimize your resource management, you need to understand the logic of duplication. Many players make the mistake of using their only template at a Smithing Table, only to realize they now have to go back to a Bastion to find another one.

The "Golden Rule" of modern Minecraft smithing is: Never use your last template.

If you have one template, you should immediately spend 7 diamonds to turn that one into two. You then use one to upgrade your gear and keep the other in a safe Ender Chest. This ensures that the only thing standing between you and more Netherite gear is your diamond supply. When considering how many diamonds to upgrade to netherite, always factor in the "safety margin" of keeping a spare template in storage.

Best Mining Levels for Diamonds and Ancient Debris to Speed Up the Process

Since the question of how many diamonds to upgrade to netherite results in such a high number, you need an efficient way to mine. The world generation changes in version 1.18 completely altered where resources spawn.

Diamond Mining (The Overworld)

Diamonds now spawn most frequently at the very bottom of the world. The best level to mine for diamonds is Y: -58. At this level, you will encounter the most Deepslate Diamond Ore. It is highly recommended to use a Fortune III pickaxe. Without Fortune, you get one diamond per ore; with Fortune III, you can average about 2.2 diamonds per ore, nearly cutting your mining time in half.

Ancient Debris Mining (The Nether)

While the diamond cost is high, you still need the Netherite itself. Ancient Debris is most common at Y: 15 in the Nether. The most effective methods for gathering this are:

Bed Mining: Using beds to create large explosions (since beds explode in the Nether).TNT Mining: A more controlled (but expensive) way to clear large areas of Netherrack.

Protecting Your Investment: Essential Enchantments for Netherite Gear

Once you have calculated how many diamonds to upgrade to netherite and successfully crafted your gear, the last thing you want is to lose it. Netherite is fireproof and floats in lava, but it is not "player-proof."

Before you even think about upgrading your diamond gear to Netherite, you should ensure it has the best possible enchantments. It is much cheaper to enchant diamond gear using a grindstone or enchantment table than it is to fix Netherite gear later.

Mending: Absolutely essential. This allows your gear to repair itself using XP.Unbreaking III: Increases the effective durability of your items.Protection IV: The standard for armor to ensure you can survive the toughest encounters.

By enchanting your gear before the upgrade, you ensure that the diamonds you spent on the upgrade process aren't wasted on a "disposable" item.

Why Some Players Choose to Stay at the Diamond Tier

Given the high cost—specifically how many diamonds to upgrade to netherite post-1.20—some players in the community have debated whether Netherite is still worth it for every piece of gear.

The jump from Diamond to Netherite provides:

+1 Armor Toughness per piece.Knockback Resistance (very useful against mobs like Skeletons or Ravagers).Higher Durability.Fire Immunity for the item itself.

For casual players, a full set of Enchanted Diamond armor is often "good enough" for the Ender Dragon or the Wither. However, for those looking to conquer Ancient Cities or take on the Warden, the diamond investment for Netherite becomes a necessary price for survival.

Staying Informed on Future Minecraft Mechanics

The mechanics of Minecraft are always evolving. As the game continues to update, the "economy" of items like diamonds and smithing templates may shift again. Staying informed through community hubs, official patch notes, and technical guides is the best way to ensure your survival strategy remains optimized.

If you are currently preparing for a deep-sea or deep-cave expedition, knowing how many diamonds to upgrade to netherite allows you to set clear goals. Instead of aimless mining, you can go into the caves knowing exactly when you have "enough" to reach the next tier of power.

Conclusion

The journey from a wooden pickaxe to a full suit of Netherite is one of the most rewarding progressions in gaming. While the modern requirements have increased the difficulty, they have also increased the prestige of owning such gear. Knowing exactly how many diamonds to upgrade to netherite—approximately 7 per upgrade—allows you to plan your resource gathering with precision.

By focusing on efficient mining at Y: -58, securing a single template from a Bastion, and utilizing the duplication recipe, you can bypass the grind and get back to what matters most: building, exploring, and conquering your Minecraft world. Start your diamond hunt today, and ensure your legacy in the Overworld is forged in the strongest materials possible.