What to know
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Crystal Blocks are crafted from Crystal Shards at the Builder’s Workbench.
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Crystal Shards mainly come from mining crystal nodes found across specific zones/biomes.
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Using an Iron Pickaxe is the safest way to reliably mine crystals into shards.
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Different shard colors tend to show up in different biomes (for example, cyan in Blue Forest lakes, red in Devastated Lands/volcanic areas).
In Hytale, Crystal Blocks are essentially the “placeable decoration” form of Crystal Shards: you gather shards in the world, then convert them into blocks for building and lighting up bases without relying only on torches.
| Goal | What you need | Where it happens | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mine shards | Iron Pickaxe (recommended) | Caves/biomes with crystal nodes | Crystal Shards drop from mined crystals |
| Convert to blocks | Builder’s Workbench | Your base/work area | Crystal Shards → Crystal Blocks |
How to get set up for crystal mining
If your crystals keep breaking or you can’t harvest them cleanly, you’re likely under-tooled—an Iron Pickaxe is the recommended baseline for mining crystals reliably. You’ll craft the Iron Pickaxe at a standard Workbench, then take it into caves and follow the non-lava “colorful glow” to crystal nodes.
Step 1: Craft a Workbench
Craft a Workbench using 4x any Tree Trunk and 4x any Stone, then place it at your base so you can craft tools easily.
Step 2: Craft an Iron Pickaxe
At the Workbench, craft an Iron Pickaxe (requires 5x Iron Ingot, 2x Light Leather, 2x Linen Scrap).
Step 3: Go crystal hunting in caves
Head into caves and look for a colorful glow that isn’t lava; mining those crystal nodes with your Iron Pickaxe will drop Crystal Shards.
Locations and shard colors you’ll run into
Crystal Shards come from crystals found in specific zones/biomes, and many types are commonly associated with the underground jungle in the Devastated Lands (Zone 4). If you’re targeting a specific color for matching builds, use the table below as a routing shortcut.
| Crystal shard type | Where to find it (high-level) |
|---|---|
| Blue | Cold biomes (surface near snowy trees that glow at night), underground caverns; also on ceilings in underground jungle/volcanic areas (platform up to reach). |
| Cyan | Blue Forest biomes, especially around the lake. |
| Green | Earthen Golems guarding the Forgotten Temple Gateway near spawn; also mineable underground in most biomes. |
| Purple | Ceilings in underground jungle/volcanic areas (platform up to reach). |
| Red | Surface or underground in Devastated Lands/volcanic biome; surface is safer but typically scarcer. |
| White | Magma layer, often around Diamonds; doesn’t spawn in caverns, so you’ll be tunneling through solid blocks. |
| Yellow | Underground jungle in volcanic biomes, usually on the ground near trees. |
How to craft Crystal Blocks from shards
Crystal Shards can be converted back into Crystal Blocks at the Builder’s Workbench, letting you use them as decoration in builds. This is the core “shards to blocks” loop: mine shards in the world, return home, and craft the block form for placement.
Step 1: Craft a Builder’s Workbench
Craft a Builder’s Workbench using 6x any Tree Trunk and 3x any Stone, then place it where you do your base crafting.
Step 2: Convert shards into Crystal Blocks
Open the Builder’s Workbench crafting menu and select Crystal Blocks, which converts your stored Crystal Shards into placeable blocks for decoration.
Step 3: Save some shards before you commit everything
Crystal Shards aren’t only decorative—some recipes (like higher-tier seeds at the Farmer’s Workbench) can also require Crystal Shards, and some of those unlock later with higher workbench tiers.
Crystal Blocks are a simple but flexible building upgrade: mine crystal nodes into shards with an Iron Pickaxe, then craft Crystal Blocks at the Builder’s Workbench for clean decorative lighting. Once you’ve got a steady shard route for your favorite color, you can scale up to full-lit bases, pathways, and landmark builds.
