DF2014:The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock

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Wondering what that new kind of rock your dwarves just struck is good for? Possibly nothing, but when you're just getting started it can be tough to tell the trash from the treasure. The following table summarizes the types of stone and ore found in Dwarf Fortress; gems are covered in their own article.

The Uses column lists any special uses or properties of this particular stone type; if no uses are listed, you can always use the stone for general construction and crafting. Note that many "low-value" materials are still very useful in a fortress. "Colors" are useful for color coding or creative aesthetic uses.

For more detailed and expanded information, see the Stone, Ore, Metals & Alloys, Veins & Clusters, and Smelting pages, or the article on any particular stone, metal or ore.

During the game, you can press z and then navigate to "stone". The list there covers all types of rocks and ores, and tells you what rocks can be smelted into.

Table of Rocks

(Some materials are worth an additional comment; these are numbered, with footnotes below the table.)

Name	Type	Uses	Appearance*
Adamantine, raw	ore, special1, spoilerry	Becomes Adamantine1 (spoilers!), by far the most valuable substance	£ *
Alabaster	stone	Low-value stone; used for making plaster	^ •
Aluminum, native	ore, high-value	Smelt into Aluminum, a high-value decorative metal	^ *
Alunite	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	` •
Andesite	layer stone	Low-value stone	∞ •
Anhydrite	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	v •
Basalt	layer stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	# •
Bauxite	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone; only source of some high-value gems	+ •
Bismuthinite	ore, rare	Smelt into bismuth, ingredient of bismuth bronze	% *
Bituminous coal	stone	Smelt into Fuel, flammable	☼ ☼
Borax	stone	Low-value stone	` •
Brimstone	stone	Low-value stone	% •
Calcite	stone	Flux, mid-value magma-safe stone	" •
Cassiterite	ore, uncommon	Smelt into Tin, a low-value metal; ingredient of Bronzes; magma-safe	£ *
Chalk	layer stone	Flux, mid-value stone	░ •
Chert	layer stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	= •
Chromite	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	= •
Cinnabar	stone	Low-value stone	£ *
Claystone	layer stone	Low-value stone	, •
Cobaltite	stone	Low-value stone	£ *
Conglomerate	layer stone	Low-value stone	∞ •
Copper, native	ore, low-value	Smelt into useful Copper; ingredient of Bronzes	£ *
Cryolite	stone	Low-value stone	- •
Dacite	layer stone	Low-value stone	. •
Diorite	layer stone	Low-value stone	░ •
Dolomite	layer stone	Flux, mid-value magma-safe stone	` •
Gabbro	layer stone	Low-value magma-safe stone; only source of some ores & gems	▒ •
Galena	ore	Smelt into Lead, a low-value metal, with a 50% chance2 for Silver; magma-safe	£ *
Garnierite	ore, uncommon	Smelt into Nickel, a low-value magma-safe metal	£ *
Gneiss	layer stone	Low-value stone	= •
Gold, native	ore	Smelt into Gold, a high-value metal	£ *
Granite	layer stone	Low-value stone; only source of some ores; relatively rich in content	▓ •
Graphite	stone	Low-value stone, flammable	o •
Gypsum	stone	Low-value stone; used for making plaster	# •
Hematite	ore	Smelt into Iron, a mid-value metal; ingredient for Steel; magma-safe	£ *
Horn silver	ore	Smelt into Silver, a mid-value metal	£ *
Hornblende	stone	Low-value stone	" •
Ilmenite	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	. •
Ice3	stone/water3	Frozen Water	█ •
Jet	stone	Low-value stone	░ •
Kaolinite	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone; used for making porcelain	= •
Kimberlite	stone	Low-value stone; only source of diamonds	% •
Lignite	stone	Smelt into Fuel, flammable	* •
Limestone	layer stone	Flux, mid-value stone	▓ •
Limonite	ore, high-value	Smelt into Iron, a mid-value metal; ingredient for Steel	£ *
Magnetite	ore, high-value	Smelt into Iron, a mid-value metal; ingredient for Steel; magma-safe	~ *
Malachite	ore, low-value	Smelt into useful Copper; ingredient of Bronzes	£ *
Marble	layer stone	Flux, mid-value stone	▓ •
Marcasite	stone	Low-value stone	% •
Mica	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	v •
Microcline	stone	Low-value stone	% •
Mudstone	layer stone	Low-value stone	≈ •
Obsidian	layer stone	High-value magma-safe stone;Sharpenable hard rock (used to create stone short swords); signifies nearby magma if not a layer	▒ •
Olivine	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone; may contain Platinum	% •
Orpiment	stone	Low-value stone	- •
Orthoclase	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	% •
Periclase	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	, •
Petrified wood	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	% •
Phyllite	layer stone	Low-value stone	- •
Pitchblende	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	* •
Platinum, native	ore, high-value	Smelt into Platinum, a highest-value decorative metal	£ *
Puddingstone	stone	Low-value stone	Θ •
Pyrolusite	stone	Low-value stone	% •
Quartzite	layer stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	- •
Realgar	stone	Low-value stone	% •
Rhyolite	layer stone	Low-value stone	, •
Rock salt	layer stone	Low-value stone	# •
Rutile	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	` •
Saltpeter	stone	Low-value stone	x •
Sandstone	layer stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	# •
Satinspar	stone	Low-value stone; used for making plaster	- •
Schist	layer stone	Low-value stone	` •
Selenite	stone	Low-value stone; used for making plaster	; •
Serpentine	stone	Low-value stone	≈ •
Shale	layer stone	Low-value stone	. •
Siltstone	layer stone	Low-value stone	% •
Silver, native	ore	Smelt into Silver, a mid-value metal	£ *
Slade	stone, special	Not workable by dwarves	░ *
Slate	layer stone	Low-value stone	% •
Sphalerite	ore, uncommon	Smelt into Zinc, a low-value metal; ingredient for Brass	£ *
Stibnite	stone	Low-value stone	% •
Sylvite	stone	Low-value stone	= •
Talc	stone	Low-value magma-safe stone	| •
Tetrahedrite	ore, low-value	Smelt into useful Copper; ingredient of Bronzes; has a 20% additional chance2 of Silver; smelt into Billon	£ *

(* Each stone is one of 16 colors in the game. Different un-mined stone of the same color have a different symbol to distinguish between them. Once mined, the individual stones themselves can sometimes look identical if the color is the same. Use k to look at items or the terrain for specific information.)

Notes:

1. Adamantine is not exactly like other metals, although it works almost the same. It has a value multiplier of x300 (yes, three hundred). See (spoilers!) adamantine for a full discussion of this unusual and wondrous material.
2. % chance for additional metals: when Galena and Tetrahedrite are smelted, they produce (respectively) four lead or copper bars, 100% of the time. They also produce 0-4 additional bars of the second metal, with the percent chance to produce each additional bar listed above.
3. Ice has some very unusual properties in Dwarf Fortress, and can be disastrous if misused. See the article on ice for a more complete discussion.

The Value of Rocks & Metals

You won't find the terms "low-value" or "highest-value" used in the game, but they're handy here for rough comparison. "Values" are all relative to each other, on a common scale. The "material value" number multiplies any final product that is created with that material by that number. An average generic statue (base value 25) is worth much more than an average generic throne (base value 10), but a throne carved from raw gold nuggets (10 x 30 = 300) will be worth far more than a common-stone statue (25 x 1 = 25). (Note - "quality" also factors into total value of a final product, as do some other considerations, but those are outside the scope of this intro article). Bottom line - when in doubt, go for the more valuable stuff.

Common stones (the vast majority) have a value multiplier of x1, mid-value (all flux stones like marble) are x2, and high-value (obsidian only) is x3. This affects things like stone tables and doors, statues or stonecrafts - anything made from stone. Metal ores have varying values, from 2-40, and can either be treated as stone or smelted into bars of metal.

For metals, low-value (like copper or nickel) is x2. Mid-value (silver or iron) is around x10, high-value (gold, steel) is x30, and highest-value (platinum, aluminum) is x40.

Note that the raw mined ore and the smelted pure metal often have different value multipliers, but not always. Alloys like brass or bronze are often more valuable than the sum of their pure metal ingredients, and have a true spectrum of values between 3-23. (Alloy values are not listed in this article.)

Any metal can be crafted into decorations, furniture, or buildings. Only copper, bronzes, iron, steel, and adamantine can make weapons, armor, and picks, with silver also able to be forged into melee weapons.

(For comparison, all wood has a value of x1, equal to common stone.)

See also:

• Exploratory mining