How to Sift Gravel, Sand, and Dust for Ore Chunks

What each material drops

Sifting different materials yields different loot. Gravel typically gives flint, various ore chunks, and pebbles. Sand yields ore chunks like gold and other metals, plus occasional gems. Dust (obtained by crafting or sifting certain blocks) gives rarer ore chunks. The exact drop tables are visible in JEI/REI — hover over the Sieve recipe to see every possible output and its chance.

Sifting efficiently

Right-click the Sieve with a stack of material to sift one item at a time. Each sift consumes one block and rolls the drop table. To speed this up, craft a Compressed Sieve — it processes materials faster or in bulk depending on the wood type. Use a Crook on leaves first to get more saplings, then turn those into more sieves.

Turning chunks into ingots

Ore chunks are not ingots. You need to smelt them in a furnace, or combine them in a crafting grid (check JEI for the exact recipe — often multiple chunks make one ingot, or a chunk plus a nugget). Some chunks can be crafted into blocks directly. Store your chunks in a chest sorted by type so you can batch-smelt later. Pebbles can be crafted into cobblestone or used in other recipes — do not throw them away.