Recently, many videos on youtube featured the trick of finding diamonds, by locating a clay patch (preferably symmetrical) and digging 2-6 blocks positive in the Z-axis. I have tried 6-7 times using this trick, and it never worked, somehow like diamonds are meant to spawn underneath clay patches.

Can someone explain what's going on?

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2 Answers

There is a similar "trick" that works with Lapis.

All of these "tricks" work of mathematical probability - there is no 100% guarantee. I even had a "trick" where I could guarantee that you would find any ore if you mine out a dirt/gravel patch. None of these are "guaranteed".

This video also provides the fact that this is not just diamonds - it applies to the statistical generation of any ore, and even then, this is only applicable to a percentage of seeds, and then there is also the difference between "Swamp Clay" and "River Clay" (I will highlight these):

SWAMP_CLAY COAL will work reliably on 62.5% of seeds. Z offset 7 occurs with probability 0.375068 Z offset 4 occurs with probability 0.249943 Z offset 14 occurs with probability 0.12498 Z offset 11 occurs with probability 0.093544 Z offset 1 occurs with probability 0.0625

SWAMP_CLAY IRON will work reliably on 68.75% of seeds. Z offset 10 occurs with probability 0.374945 Z offset 11 occurs with probability 0.187534 Z offset 9 occurs with probability 0.124971 Z offset 4 occurs with probability 0.062561 Z offset 3 occurs with probability 0.062541

SWAMP_CLAY GOLD will work reliably on 75.0% of seeds. Z offset 14 occurs with probability 0.749988 Z offset 8 occurs with probability 0.125011 Z offset 5 occurs with probability 0.093649 Z offset 2 occurs with probability 0.02348 Z offset 11 occurs with probability 0.005881

SWAMP_CLAY REDSTONE will work reliably on 81.25% of seeds. Z offset 3 occurs with probability 0.374988 Z offset 4 occurs with probability 0.250116 Z offset 1 occurs with probability 0.187387 Z offset 12 occurs with probability 0.062435 Z offset 9 occurs with probability 0.04682

SWAMP_CLAY DIAMOND will work reliably on 87.5% of seeds. Z offset 8 occurs with probability 0.500088 Z offset 6 occurs with probability 0.3749 Z offset 15 occurs with probability 0.062528 Z offset 12 occurs with probability 0.046895 Z offset 10 occurs with probability 0.011681

SWAMP_CLAY LAPIS will work reliably on 93.75% of seeds. Z offset 11 occurs with probability 0.500081 Z offset 12 occurs with probability 0.249968 Z offset 10 occurs with probability 0.187493 Z offset 4 occurs with probability 0.031219 Z offset 0 occurs with probability 0.023369

RIVER_CLAY COAL will work reliably on 56.25% of seeds. Z offset 1 occurs with probability 0.249875 Z offset 3 occurs with probability 0.187583 Z offset 11 occurs with probability 0.125 Z offset 0 occurs with probability 0.124946 Z offset 8 occurs with probability 0.093816

RIVER_CLAY IRON will work reliably on 62.5% of seeds. Z offset 7 occurs with probability 0.375003 Z offset 4 occurs with probability 0.250036 Z offset 14 occurs with probability 0.124858 Z offset 11 occurs with probability 0.093674 Z offset 1 occurs with probability 0.062551

RIVER_CLAY GOLD will work reliably on 68.75% of seeds. Z offset 10 occurs with probability 0.375082 Z offset 11 occurs with probability 0.187578 Z offset 9 occurs with probability 0.125048 Z offset 3 occurs with probability 0.062424 Z offset 4 occurs with probability 0.062411

RIVER_CLAY REDSTONE will work reliably on 75.0% of seeds. Z offset 14 occurs with probability 0.75008 Z offset 8 occurs with probability 0.125033 Z offset 5 occurs with probability 0.093684 Z offset 2 occurs with probability 0.023408 Z offset 11 occurs with probability 0.005823

RIVER_CLAY DIAMOND will work reliably on 81.25% of seeds. Z offset 3 occurs with probability 0.374965 Z offset 4 occurs with probability 0.249936 Z offset 1 occurs with probability 0.187548 Z offset 12 occurs with probability 0.062526 Z offset 9 occurs with probability 0.046733

RIVER_CLAY LAPIS will work reliably on 87.5% of seeds. Z offset 8 occurs with probability 0.499903 Z offset 6 occurs with probability 0.375183 Z offset 15 occurs with probability 0.062463 Z offset 12 occurs with probability 0.046953 Z offset 10 occurs with probability 0.011689

GRAVEL COAL will work reliably on 50.0% of seeds. Z offset 13 occurs with probability 0.499963 Z offset 7 occurs with probability 0.249939 Z offset 3 occurs with probability 0.187339 Z offset 1 occurs with probability 0.047155 Z offset 9 occurs with probability 0.011795

GRAVEL IRON will work reliably on 56.25% of seeds. Z offset 1 occurs with probability 0.250058 Z offset 3 occurs with probability 0.187465 Z offset 0 occurs with probability 0.124965 Z offset 11 occurs with probability 0.124954 Z offset 8 occurs with probability 0.093892

GRAVEL GOLD will work reliably on 62.5% of seeds. Z offset 7 occurs with probability 0.374988 Z offset 4 occurs with probability 0.250066 Z offset 14 occurs with probability 0.124927 Z offset 11 occurs with probability 0.09385 Z offset 1 occurs with probability 0.062465

GRAVEL REDSTONE will work reliably on 68.75% of seeds. Z offset 10 occurs with probability 0.374878 Z offset 11 occurs with probability 0.187476 Z offset 9 occurs with probability 0.125008 Z offset 4 occurs with probability 0.062573 Z offset 3 occurs with probability 0.062502

GRAVEL DIAMOND will work reliably on 75.0% of seeds. Z offset 14 occurs with probability 0.74992 Z offset 8 occurs with probability 0.125093 Z offset 5 occurs with probability 0.093641 Z offset 2 occurs with probability 0.023651 Z offset 11 occurs with probability 0.005766

GRAVEL LAPIS will work reliably on 81.25% of seeds. Z offset 3 occurs with probability 0.375061 Z offset 4 occurs with probability 0.250105 Z offset 1 occurs with probability 0.187341 Z offset 12 occurs with probability 0.062501 Z offset 9 occurs with probability 0.046835

This trick only works on about 85% of seeds, and only 70% - 80% of the time. You could be just extremely unlucky, or your seed is just a bad one.

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