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v0.34:Stone

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This article is about an older version of DF.

(For the beginning player, see also The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock)


An unmined rock or stone tile is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals. Mining a rock tile leaves behind a loose stone (or just "stone") roughly 25% of the time. Other types of minable tiles include soil, sand, and clay; these tiles do not produce loose stones when mined.

Loose stones are divided into a few key categories:

  • Ore: stones that produces metal bars when smelted
  • Rough gems: rough gems can be cut, then used to encrust objects and create windows.
  • Other stone: all other stones. Few of these have a use outside of items and structures. (Obsidian is one exception).

Economic stones are types of stone that can be reserved for a special purpose. For ores, this is smelting and for fluxes, this is steel production. Bituminous coal and lignite can be reserved for making coke.

Having created loose stone, many times you'll want to get rid of it or at least move it someplace else. See stone management for advice.

If you are having the opposite problem, and find yourself running out of stone, try making stone blocks.

This article is about DF geology and the distribution of stones, and does not contain the specific locations of ores or gems.

Main layer types[edit]

Main article: Layer

There are four types of stone layers (plus soil, which is not stone). The type of layer is the primary indicator of what kind of ores you are likely to find on the map, as well as a sign of volcanic activity.

The types are sedimentary layers, igneous intrusive layers, igneous extrusive layers, and metamorphic layers.

The primary types of rock only occur in their own layers. (e.g. you won't find limestone in a marble layer.)

Stones forming entire layers[edit]

These types of stone occur as entire layers, containing some veins and pockets of other minerals (see below).

Sedimentary Igneous intrusive Igneous extrusive Metamorphic
- Magma-safe

Other Stone[edit]

Stones found on this table will occur as pockets and veins inside their respective stone layers (see above). When your miners newly encounter one of them you will receive an announcement, even for the ones that have no use other than to build constructions of unusual colors. Note that the veins or clusters can spread into other layers, and may cause some layers to contain stones they usually wouldn't. A few of these stones, such as Olivine, have other, more interesting minerals appear inside them.

Non-layer stone formations occur in one of three shapes: large clusters, veins, and small clusters. (See Veins & Clusters for full info.)

The following table does not contain ores and gems.

Icons Name Found in Magma-safe
^ Alabaster Gypsum(S)
` Alunite All Igneous extrusive(L), Kaolinite(L) Yes
v Anhydrite Gypsum(S), Satinspar(1), Alabaster(1), Selenite(1) Yes
+ Bauxite All Sedimentary(L) Yes
Bituminous coal All Sedimentary(V)
` Borax Gypsum(S), Rock salt(L)
% Brimstone All Igneous extrusive(S), Gypsum(S)
" Calcite Limestone(S), Marble(S) Yes
= Chromite Olivine(V) Yes
£ * Cinnabar All Igneous extrusive(V), Shale(V), Quartzite(V)
£ * Cobaltite All Igneous(V), All Metamorphic(V)
- Cryolite Granite(S)
o Graphite Gneiss(S), Quartzite(S), Marble(S), Schist(S)
# Gypsum All Sedimentary(L)
" Hornblende All Igneous(S), All Metamorphic(S)
. Ilmenite Gabbro(S) Yes
Jet All Sedimentary(L)
= Kaolinite All Sedimentary(L) Yes
% Kimberlite Gabbro(V)
* Lignite All Sedimentary(V)
% Marcasite Kaolinite(S)
v Mica All Metamorphic(L), Granite(L) Yes
% Microcline All Stone(L)
% Olivine Gabbro(L) Yes
- Orpiment All Igneous extrusive(S)
% Orthoclase All Igneous intrusive(L), All Metamorphic(L) Yes
, Periclase Marble(S) Yes
% Petrified wood All Sedimentary(S) Yes
* Pitchblende Granite(S) Yes
Θ Puddingstone Conglomerate(L)
% Pyrolusite All Igneous(S)
% Realgar All Igneous extrusive(S)
` Rutile All Metamorphic(S), Granite(S) Yes
x Saltpeter All Sedimentary(S)
- Satinspar Gypsum(S)
; Selenite Gypsum(S)
Serpentine Olivine(S)
% Stibnite All Igneous extrusive(S)
= Sylvite Rock salt(L)
| Talc Dolomite(L) Yes
(L) - occurs in large clusters
(V) - occurs in veins
(S) - occurs in small clusters
(1) - occurs in individual tiles

DF Geology and real-world Geology[edit]

The geology and stones of Dwarf Fortress are based on real-world geology and mineralogy. To understand the terms used here, you may want to crack open a geology textbook (a high school one should suffice). If you don't happen to have one close by, the Wikipedia articles for geology, mineralogy, or the terms in question might help.

By Color[edit]

For those concerned with aesthetics and wanting to know which stones are available in each color.

Color Non-economic stones Economic Ore
White Alunite, Borax, Cryolite, Marcasite, Periclase, Quartzite (L), Rock salt (L), Talc Alabaster, Calcite, Chalk (L), Dolomite (L), Limestone (L), Marble (L), Satinspar, Selenite Galena, Horn silver, Native aluminum, Native platinum, Native silver
Light Gray Anhydrite, Dacite (L), Gneiss (L), Granite (L), Phyllite (L), Stibnite Bismuthinite
Dark Gray Andesite (L), Basalt (L), Chromite, Claystone (L), Diorite (L), Gabbro (L), Graphite, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Jet, Mica, Pyrolusite, Rhyolite (L), Shale (L), Slate Bituminous coal, Lignite, Obsidian (L) Magnetite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite
Brown Chert (L), Conglomerate (L), Mudstone (L), Puddingstone, Sandstone (L), Schist (L), Siltstone (L) Cassiterite, Native copper
Yellow Brimstone, Orpiment, Orthoclase, Saltpeter, Sylvite Gypsum Limonite, Native gold
Dark Red Bauxite Kaolinite Hematite
Red Cinnabar, Petrified wood, Realgar
Green Olivine, Serpentine Malachite
Bright Green Garnierite
Teal None
Cyan Microcline Raw adamantine
Blue Cobaltite
Dark Blue Kimberlite
Purple Pitchblende, Rutile
Magenta None
Sedimentary
Igneous
Intrusive
Extrusive
Metamorphic
Ore
Economic
Other