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Identity HelpGeode or Nodule-What Is This Ugly Thing?Lol

29th May 2018 01:53 UTCDeanna Kane

Since I'm a newbie and never had a geode cracking experience before, I decided to buy a few Kentucky geodes on eBay. I didn't spend too much and the few I purchased were under $20 for each one. This one has me baffled.

It was over 12 lbs and I couldn't wait to crack it open. I love anything that sparkles and glimmers and could not wait to see all the crystals that I thought was going to be inside as soon as I opened it up.

In the back of my mind, I figured I might get a dud and took a gamble buying it. I figured what the heck, this might have something totally awesome inside of it. When I smacked it with my ball pein hammer, it broke very easily into several large chunks.

I was sadly disappointed when I saw it and wanted to throw it in the garbage, LOL it was not all what it was cracked up to be- haha

What the heck is this butt ugly rock or should I say mineral? Should I just throw it into the bin or should I keep it? Maybe if I knew what it was I would like it more.

Can anyone shed some light on what the heck this could be? Thanks in advance for all your help. Every one of you has been so gracious to me in the past.

This is going to be picture heavy, so bear with me. Sorry and thanks once again.

29th May 2018 01:55 UTCDeanna Kane

29th May 2018 01:58 UTCDeanna Kane

29th May 2018 02:00 UTCDeanna Kane

29th May 2018 02:03 UTCDeanna Kane

29th May 2018 02:09 UTCBob Harman

Other than the Hall's Gap locality for millerite and a few other geode localities, I have never been impressed with Kentucky geodes and your pictured example only reenforces my feelings. See the Mindat thread on Midwest sedimentary type geodes for many more of these type geodes.

You show a sort of geode. It is a large multi cavity quartz nodule or geode of sorts. The quartz remains, as it is resistant to destruction and the cavities are lined by rather dingy and iron stained druzy quartz points. The less resistant surrounding limestone matrix has long ago weathered away. Probably found in a stream bed or farm field, most probably from somewhere in the central Kentucky geode belt, South of Louisville to the Lake Cumberland area and on to the central Tennessee border. CHEERS.....BOB

29th May 2018 02:20 UTCDeanna Kane

Hi Bob,

As usual you are awesome and an amazing source for straight up knowledge. You took the words right out of my mouth. I certainly am unimpressed with this one, lol. However, the more I look at it the more I feel bad for it somehow. Maybe I should keep it instead of tossing it in my bin. Maybe I'm crazy for feeling bad for a rock bearing un-impressing minerals-ha ha.

You are nothing short of amazing and I want to thank you for helping me. I live on Long Island and wish I could hunt for my own geodes here, but Long Island is short on anything dazzling to find. It's such a bummer.

Is there any dealer that you recommend for buying more impressing uncracked geodes? I am itching to crack something open that is much prettier than this disappointing mess that I just opened the other day.

29th May 2018 02:29 UTCBob Harman

You live on Long Island...........I grew up in Queens, Forest Hills, with most of my family moving to various L.I. towns after I went off to college, so I am abundantly familiar with Nassau and Suffolk County. Still have family and land in the Hamptons, but that is another story.

Anyway, be careful about buying unopened geodes, especially from Indiana and Kentucky. They tend to be overpriced and of very low end quality. CHEERS.....BOB

29th May 2018 02:38 UTCDeanna Kane

Hi Bob. It's a small world! I grew up many years ago in Woodhaven, Queens and my husband was in the NYPD for 27 years in a police precinct in Forest Hills, near Queens Blvd on Austin Street and is now retired.

Thanks so much for the heads up about buying Geodes. I am no longer going to buy ones from Kentucky or Indiana. What locations do the best Geodes hail from?

By the way I saw the thread on Geodes and you have by far the most amazing collection. They are to die for and drop dead gorgeous!!

Take care and thanks for your friendship.

~Deanna

29th May 2018 02:48 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Deanna,

One thing to realise when it comes to minerals is that all minerals, all rocks, no matter how ugly they are, have their own story to tell. Where a collector might see your specimen as completely useless and maybe fit for the rock garden, others might see this as an opportunity to learn more about their geologic history and what environment they form in. We're just fortunate to have Bob around to tell us about these things..... ;-)

29th May 2018 03:11 UTCDeanna Kane

Paul, Yes- ha ha! Bob has a discerning eye, but then again his collection is truly awesome and museum worthy. I'm awestruck whenever I see pictures of the specimens in his collection. The butt ugly mineral aka mud rock is going to stay in my collection because I sort of like it's history and the amazing forces used to create it.

It's so funny because as they say, "one person's trash is another person's treasure" it rings true. My 15 year old daughter just saw one of the pieces of the "butt ugly" rock and asked me if she could have it because she thought it was pretty. Things like that make me smile.

Take care and thanks for the reply. I appreciate your friendship.

Best wishes,

~Deanna

29th May 2018 03:14 UTCWayne Corwin

Deanna

Some Iron Out will bring out the best (as it can get) in your specimen.

29th May 2018 03:16 UTCDoug Daniels

I don't think I'd even call that one a geode, or a nodule. Maybe a nicely vuggy piece of quartz, which gives a different story. Knowing exactly (or even close) where in Kentucky it was found would help with its story. And it does seem to have some iron staining; perhaps a bath in Super Iron Out would help a bit (if you feel comfortable playing with such things). I'd say not a total loss - would even be interesting in your garden. And, all of us here have early on made similar mistakes (at least those that will admit to them).

29th May 2018 03:18 UTCDeanna Kane

Oh goody. I have Iron Out in the house. I will go get a bucket and soak it and see what happens. Thanks so much for the suggestion. I'm excited now and can't wait to see the results. Maybe there is some hope that this specimen can be pretty after all.

Since I'm new to all of this, I have a feeling I will still be making quite a bit more mistakes. However I'm not afraid to admit to it. Just last week I took home a huge rock that I saw at night and when I got home the next day I found out if was a chunk of concrete when I saw it in the light, lol. I'm not afraid to be laughed at although I feel like an idiot- Ha Ha!

~Deanna

29th May 2018 03:30 UTCDeanna Kane

Hi Doug,

Here is the listing on ebay for the "Butt Ugly" Geode I purchased. Maybe this can shed some light on it and peg the location. It looks like the seller hails from Stanford, Kentucky if this helps add to this piece's history. You can see it's original shape in the listing. He didn't guarantee it would have any sparkly goodness inside and I should have taken heed to that, lol.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-12lb-Natural-Unopend-Kentucky-Geode-135-/183228544282?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=w2QgyJMgkhnZ%252FPLBGCKQqyS2%252FkM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

~Deanna

29th May 2018 04:02 UTCWayne Corwin

Deanna

It might take 2 days of soaking in Iron out.

Save one of your smaller pieces out so you can see the differance.

And show us a photo of "After" please.

29th May 2018 04:53 UTCDeanna Kane

Hi Wayne. I just went to my cupboard and saw we had no more Iron Out : (

I will go buy some this week and definitely post photos here of the before and after. Thanks for letting me know to soak it for 2 days. I will have to be patient- ha ha.

Take care and once again I appreciate all your help.

Your friend,

Deanna

29th May 2018 04:59 UTCBob Harman

I really did not want to get back onto this thread discussing the geode, but as there has been so much discussion, I will give a few more pointers.

I could have discussed using iron out, but there are limits to what it can do when used on long time dingy examples with relatively little removable iron staining. The pictured geode has these hallmarks of being dingy by lying in a creek bed or farm field rather than just being stained with rusty iron oxides. I can tell you now that it will not look much fresher, but look dull and artificially cleaned after any amount or soaking. HOWEVER, GO AHEAD AND DO SOAK IT SO YOU WILL SEE JUST HOW IMPROVED YOU CAN MAKE IT LOOK. In my opinion, you sort of have to weigh the "iron staining factor" against the "dinginess factor". In this case the "dinginess factor" wins out and iron out cleaning won't do too much improving. Try anyway.........

The e-bay pictured examples all show some iron staining in otherwise (more importantly) dingy examples that will not really clean up that well with iron out. It has to do with their being in the creek bed and/or field dirt for eons rather than just being iron stained.

As to DOUG D's comment. When he becomes a Kentucky geode expert, let me know...... There are several stream bed locations in several counties that produce geode varieties similar to the pictured example. Large quartz nodules with multiple small and irregular quartz lined cavities, rather than a single central cavity, all considered Kentucky geodes and variants. CHEERS.......BOB

29th May 2018 05:14 UTCDoug Daniels

OK Bob...I ain't a geode expert, nor a Kentucky one at that. Just that what I see in the photos don't jive with a "classic" geode. Just sayin.

29th May 2018 05:18 UTCDeanna Kane

Hi Bob.

As the saying goes, "You can't put lipstick on a pig", lol. I guess it is what it is, and I will chalk it up as a learning experience. I will keep it and the more that I look at it, the more I will remember your wise words ; )

It's "butt ugly" and now that I learned something about geodes here, I will be more choosy in the future of where they come from and who I buy them from. It isn't a total loss though. I had fun getting the anger and frustrations of the week out by hitting something with a hammer, lol.

Thanks for your words of wisdom Bob and have a wonderful evening.

Your friend,

Deanna

29th May 2018 22:52 UTCGary Weinstein

Deanna,

Glad you are enjoying the hobby and learning also. Please be aware that you will be better able to enjoy it for longer if you use the proper tools. DO NOT break geodes or any other rock with a ball peen or any other hardware type of hammer. They are make for driving nails into wood. Get a rock hammer, Estwing or the like. They are specially forged to take the abuse without fracturing into flying shrapnel. And wear eye protection, always!

Gary

30th May 2018 00:32 UTCDeanna Kane

Hi Gary.

Thanks so much for your helpful information. I will definitely get one of those hammers, LOL.

I'm trying to get a used soil pipe cutter from one of our plumber friends for cheap so as I come across more geodes I can open them nicely.

Take care and have a wonderful evening.

~Deanna

30th May 2018 10:42 UTCDeanna Kane

Hi Gary,

I made a mistake. The hammer I had purchased to try to crack geodes is not a ball pein hammer. It is a blacksmiths hammer. It's probably still not a good hammer to use to crack open geodes. However, I at least got the correct name brand that was recommended by you (Estwing), lol.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Estwing-32-oz-Fiberglass-Blacksmiths-Hammer-MRF32BS/303397588

In the meantime, I hope to score a used soil pipe cutter for cheap. If not, my husband's plumber friend has several pipe cutters in different sizes and said anytime I want to crack geodes, he will come over the house with his pipe cutters and help. I think I'm going to get him into the hobby too because he sounded very interested in cutting open geodes. Thank goodness for nice people who are there to lend a helping hand ; )

Take care,

Deanna

30th May 2018 14:07 UTCBob Harman

DEANNA,

If you plan on buying or otherwise acquiring unopened geodes, here is my personal opinion of what to chance and what not to.

In the US types you will find much available from the Midwest , but relatively little from many western sites. Agates from these western sites are more common.

Altho I don't buy unopened examples, my favorites to take a chance on would be Keokuks. Altho relatively small, they are usually rather fresh and more predictable as to what is inside than those from other sites. The fee for collecting sites in Missouri and Illinois include large examples to be opened; these can be pricey, but mostly are nice or better when opened.

Unopened Indiana and Kentucky examples, can be larger, but tend to be low end and often are dingy. For their quality they are overpriced. Other sites are not often available in any numbers.

Foreign examples most often include those from Morocco and Mexico. For unopened examples, both locations are okay to take a chance on. For Mexican examples (called coconuts), they are usually fresh and the smaller ones quite predicable as to what is inside. Occasionally surprising the opener on the upside. The larger ones with good quality amethyst/ dark smoky quartz or angel wing calcites, have become quite pricy when you buy or open them.

The small quartz Moroccan examples are very fresh, quite predictable, and quite affordable. The large quartz ones are fresh, more expensive, but still relatively affordable if you have the room. Those with secondary minerals such as calcite or gypsum sprays (mined at different sites than the quartz only ones) are a real find if you open them up. They usually get mixed together at the show dealers with no attention given to knowing the different mining sites. Those with amethystine stalactites etc can be beautiful, but very pricy for most buyers.

On another subject, opened Midwest examples of very hi quality examples are only very rarely available. Other than being seen in museums and similar settings, there are relatively few examples in relatively few private collections, being privately recycled rather than coming up for public sale. The few I have seen are very highly priced for the hi quality. Collecting them is more difficult as the sites are closed or become extinct.

On yet another subject. Austin Street and Queens Blvd............ Heh Heh Heh. It know it well, very well. Have pix including recent pix taken by my brother who recently revisited our old neighborhoods. More on that later............. CHEERS.......BOB

30th May 2018 15:08 UTCBob Harman

And a few more tid-bits that I have learned.

For those who do not collect geodes or otherwise think it beneath them, nice geode areas can be, and are often, culled out of opened geodes, making for some very nice affordable specimens. I have seen quite nice quartz, barite on quartz, and calcite on quartz specimens that were once parts of geodes. These culminate in pricey calcite on amethyst or celestine examples that were, at one time, parts of geodes/amethyst cathedrals etc. Even small broken pieces occasionally make nice quartz thumbnails or micros.

Using a pipe cutter, for many geodes is the way to go to open them. But there are limitations. The pipe cutter may not work well with the occasional irregular example. In fact it can be dangerous if the "teeth" suddenly slip off irregular areas so be very aware of the limitations to stay safe. Also, with experience, collectors can tell if most unopened examples are hollow or solid, by the example's "heft", but what cannot be told is the crystal orientation within the cavity. Whether the example opens well or right thru the crystal(s) is hit or miss........ CHEERS.......BOB

3rd Jun 2018 03:55 UTCDeanna Kane

Ok folks. The shards of whatever the heck this rock/mineral/geode/nodule is, spent the past several days in a bucket of IronOut. They look much whiter and cleaner.

I now actually like them, whatever they are (quartz?), lol

~Deanna

3rd Jun 2018 03:58 UTCDeanna Kane

3rd Jun 2018 04:00 UTCDeanna Kane

3rd Jun 2018 04:15 UTCDeanna Kane

Hi Bob,

Glad you laughed when I mentioned Austin Street, lol. That and Queens Blvd. is the one of the biggest traffic meccas outside of NYC and a nightmare to drive through without clenching your teeth and uttering curse words. Ha Ha.

Thanks so much for all your helpful info on Geodes and minerals. I am a big fan of Keokuk geodes and have one really nice example with a gigantic calcite barrel shaped crystal smack dab in the middle. It is so interesting to look at but still not half as nice as the ones pictured in the Midwest Geode thread.

I also like Moroccan Geodes, but notice a lot of them are dyed with ugly tie dyed colors sometimes to make them more sellable. I have one small Moroccan Geode that has pure, natural undyed quartz crystals that sparkles and shimmers so nicely.

As far as buying uncracked Geodes, I'm going to steer clear of them unless I get them for less than $10 and buy them only once in a while just for the sheer curiosity, but my preference will now remain with the Keokuk area geodes. No more Kentucky location geodes. No offense to Kentucky peeps here.

I hope to one day get to travel and find my own minerals and geodes. However, my husband rather watch paint peel than to do this with me. He is one of those type of people that does not collect anything nor needs anything because he lives life "simplistically" and is a minimalist, lol

3rd Jun 2018 13:51 UTCRolf Luetcke Expert

Fun read and geodes can be fun and some areas the geodes are solid, some of the Mexican ones I got are a great red, banded inside and cutting is the only way on those.

What I mostly wanted to point out here is something Deanna said about "Butt Ugly" and my wife loves the movies "The Gods Must Be Crazy" and one of her favorite things about the films is the little bushmen in the movie have the "cutest" little butts. If people have not seen those old films it is one of the few cases where butts are not ugly at all.

This is one of the red geodes I was referring to with the Mexico solid ones. They can be quite pretty also.

3rd Jun 2018 22:54 UTCDeanna Kane

Hi Rolf.

That is so pretty. I love the brick red and golden color swirl.

I'm also laughing about your comment about the movie the God's Must Be Crazy. I like your sense of humor ; )

Thanks for your comment.

Your friend,

Deanna

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