How can you spot a thunderegg?

Though thundereggs appear lke rocks, they can be easily identified by the abnormally round and bumpy brown-gray surface. Usually, thundereggs lie relatively close to the Earth's surface, embedded in the clay of the tuff, where they were formed.

Is it a geode or thunderegg?

The main difference between geode and thunderegg is that geode is composed of crystals with a hollow inside, while thunderegg is solid. Thunderegg has defined rock and mineral composition. Thundereggs are chalcedony consolidation in rhyolites rocks, while geodes can contain various types of crystals.

What causes thunder eggs form?

Formation. Thundereggs are found in flows of rhyolite lava. They form in the lava from the action of water percolating through the porous rock carrying silica in solution. The deposits lined and filled the cavity, first with a darker matrix material, then an inner core of agate or chalcedony.

How do you identify a geode?

Where do you cut thundereggs?

The goal of cutting a thunderegg is to reveal and highlight the inner geometry by cutting through any air pockets that exist and perpendicularly through the mineral layers. To accurately do this, one must estimate the inside layout based on how the egg formed.

What is the Difference Between a Geode, Thunderegg,

How do you clean thunder eggs?

The quickest and the easiest way to clean your geodes or thundereggs is to just wash them with plain old soap and water. I'll usually take a soft bristle scrub brush to them as well, to get all the dirt out of the cracks and crevices.

How do you make a thunder egg shiny?

For thundereggs, I recommend using cerium oxide. It's a great polish for agate, jasper, and other hard cryptocrystalline materials. What is this? For hand polishing, get your rag or chamois a bit wet, poke it in the powdered cerium oxide, and get to work on the surface.

How much is a geode rock worth?

A geode can be worth anywhere from $5 to more than $1000, depending on its type and location. The price will vary widely based on whether the rock has been cut open because geodes often contain crystals inside of them which make them more valuable when exposed correctly (e.g., cutting along an axis).

What is the rarest geode color?

The rarest and most valuable geodes contain amethyst crystals and black calcite.

How old is a thunder egg?

“Thunder eggs are gas bubbles that formed in a rhyolite formation between thirty and forty million years ago,” noted Casey.

What type of rock is a thunder egg?

Thunder eggs are spherical objects which form in some types of silica-rich volcanic rocks (e.g. rhyolites). As the volcanic lava cooled, trapped steam and other gases formed an expanding bubble.

Where do you find geodes at?

Geodes are found throughout the world, but the most concentrated areas are located in the deserts. Volcanic ash beds, or regions containing limestone, are common geode locations. There are many easily accessible geode collecting sites in the western United States, including in California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada.

What is the difference between an agate and a geode?

In a lot of ways, agates have inclusions, while geodes are inclusions in the host rock. It's an important distinction to make. But the biggest difference is the fact that geodes are a specific form of mineral, while agates are a specific type of mineral. Any comparison between them should take that into account.

How do you know if you found a crystal?

Look at the crystals in the rock using a magnifying lens. Use a book that identifies types of rocks and crystals to identify the crystals in the rocks you are examining. Carefully examine the rock's crystals and compare them to the pictures in the book. Find the one that looks most like the crystal in your rock.

How do I know if my rock is worth money?

The harder a mineral is, the more likely it is to be valuable. If you can scratch the mineral with your fingernail, it has a hardness of 2.5 Mohs, which is very soft. If you can scratch it with a penny, its hardness is 3 Mohs, and if it takes a piece of glass to scratch it, the hardness is 5.5 Mohs.

What kind of geodes are worth money?

The most valuable geodes are those that contain perfectly formed flawless crystals of amethyst, celestine, calcite, or other rare minerals. Geodes are worth from $2-5 for common specimens and up to several thousand for exceptional several meters.

How much are unopened geodes worth?

Large amethyst geodes can go for thousands. Baseball sized geodes with non-spectacular quartz or calcite crystals can be purchased for $4-$12. Geodes with uncommon minerals that are sold on mineral auction sites range in price from $30-$500. Golf ball sized geodes, uncracked, are sold for about $2 at shows.”

What will cut a geode?

By using a chisel, you can concentrate the force of your hammer on a smaller surface, scoring a line around the outside of your geode to facilitate a clean break. If you are simply using a hammer, you may end up smashing the geode into many small pieces, so using a chisel with a hammer is recommended.

How do you keep geodes shiny?

EASY METHOD: Simply wash the geodes in plain water with a bit of laundry detergent (or dish soap), then let them soak in a tub of water with 1/4 cup of ordinary household bleach for two days.

How do you tell if a rock is a thunder egg?

Though thundereggs appear lke rocks, they can be easily identified by the abnormally round and bumpy brown-gray surface. Usually, thundereggs lie relatively close to the Earth's surface, embedded in the clay of the tuff, where they were formed.