Mining

**Mining** is a skill that allows players to obtain ores and gems from rocks. With ores, a player can then either smelt bars and make equipment using the Smithing skill or sell them for profit. Mining is one of the most popular skills in *RuneScape* as many players try to earn a profit from the skill. On the map, mining areas are identified with a regular pickaxe  icon and the mining shop with a gold pickaxe  icon.

## How to mine

   To mine, a player will first need a pickaxe, which are sold in a number of shops. New players are given a bronze pickaxe upon creation of their account. When a player has obtained a pickaxe, they next need to find a mine. Upon locating a mine, the player can then select a rock in the mine. Players can identify any mineable ore by right-clicking and be selecting "Prospect Rocks". Left clicking on it will cause the player to begin mining the rocks as long as they have a pickaxe that the player can use. As a player is mining a rock, they will eventually obtain an ore (or a gemstone). This ore can either be used in the Smithing skill or it can be sold. Selling ores can give players a good profit.

Mining is a skill largely based on a player's luck, which is random in RuneScape. Luck affects Mining in this way: the player will mine the rock, but when they hit the rock, it might take eight to twelve hits to obtain an ore. Another player may mine the same rock and get an ore in just one hit. Using a pickaxe of a higher metal will allow players to obtain ores faster.

## Pickaxes

Pickaxes, or "picks", are needed to mine rocks. They can be equipped as a weapon, giving players one extra space in their inventory. However, pickaxes cannot be made using the Smithing skill. Pickaxes can be bought from either Nurmof in the Dwarven Mines or from other players. Nurmof's Pickaxe Shop in the Dwarven mines is labeled on the minimap as a gold pickaxe.

A player's Mining level determines the type of pickaxe they can mine with. The higher the level needed to use a pickaxe, the better it is than the ones below it. For example, a rune pickaxe will mine rocks faster than an adamant pickaxe.

## Mineable items

Ores are obtained from the different types of rocks. These rocks can be found in mines. On the minimap, mines are labeled with a grey pickaxe. The color of a rock corresponds to the ore's color, so a black rock will yield coal, a blue rock will yield mithril ore, etc.

When players click on a rock, they will hit it with their pickaxes and try to get the ore out. The higher level rocks, such a mithril, and adamantite, take longer for players to mine an ore out of, making the player require patience.

After the ore has been mined, the rock will turn grey for a while. Eventually another ore will respawn and the rock will regain its color. Players can only mine a rock when ore is available. Ore respawn times differ with the difficulty of the rock. For example, runite rocks take 12 minutes to respawn while iron rocks take about 3 seconds.

## Mines

Mines are areas where players can mine their ores. These may be on the surface or underground and are scattered around Gielinor. Some of these locations are accessible only after certain quests are complete.