Recommended Pickaxe Enchantments
Efficiency V
Massive mining speed; Efficiency V can insta-mine stone with a Haste beacon.
Unbreaking III
Triples effective durability - essential for a mining tool.
Mending I
Mining XP repairs the pickaxe automatically.
Fortune III
Multiplies diamonds, emeralds, coal, redstone and more. Choose Fortune OR Silk Touch.
Silk Touch I
Alternative to Fortune: mine the block itself (ores in raw form, glass, ender chests).
FAQ
Fortune III or Silk Touch - which pickaxe enchantment is better?
Fortune III for maximizing diamonds and resources; Silk Touch for moving spawners, building with ore blocks, and collecting specific blocks. Many miners carry one of each. They are mutually exclusive on the same pickaxe.
What are the best pickaxe enchantments?
Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, Mending, plus Fortune III or Silk Touch. That's the full god pickaxe.
Can I have both Fortune and Silk Touch?
Not on the same pickaxe - they are mutually exclusive, and the anvil will not allow it (unless you use the historical allow-conflicts trick, which is version-dependent).
How do I avoid 'Too Expensive' on my pickaxe?
Combine books with each other first in the optimal order, then apply to the pickaxe last - and let the calculator plan the sequence for you.