Geode and Agates

[Steve Valentine]

I have always been a rock hound and when I see something I like I either pick it up and bring it home or buy it from a shop to bring home. While my family and I were on our trip to Hocking Hills State Park we visited a Rock Shop and a huge Antique Mall were I was able to purchase a killer Geode and some really beautiful pieces of cut Brazilian Agate. None of them were very expensive and they are all great looking pieces.

The Rock Shop were I got the Geode had a huge barrel full of them and you got to pick out which one you wanted. They were priced with dots on the side and a dollar for each dot or a X meant $10 plus any dots were dollar increments. I really didn't know what I was looking for just got lucky with the one I picked and I only got it because it was one of the cheaper ones a $8. They cracked them open for you for free and when I handed it to the guy he said, "Boy, you got a good one here" and he was right. The crystal formations inside this one were just freakin' awesome. I was really pleased with that $8 purchase.

At the mall there was a little shop that had all kinds of Fossils and Minerals to buy and I got the Agates there. The big ones were 2 for $5 and the small ones were $.75 each. I love the colors on these, especially the brownish colored one. Could you imagine a Point made from that material?

Anyway, here's some pictures of the things I bought.

These are all of the Geode.

[Steve Valentine]

Here's some shots of the Agates. This stuff is just beautiful to me.

[Steve Valentine]

Here's the last two pieces. These have that "cotton candy" look around the outside edges. Very cool looking pieces.

[Ohioan85]

Wow those are really cool! I used to live near the Hocking Hills but never have been to the shop you mentioned.

[rokdok]

I have quite a few artifacts made of agatized botryoidal and druzy coral from here in south Georgia, all found at the same river crossing, and in a lifetime of collecting here, i have never found them at any other site. i will try to photo and post for you Steve.

[tomclark]

Agate is probably my #1 favorite mineral. I have so many agate cobbles and samples from all over. I really have been meaning to join a lapidary club, never did. Very nice pieces there!

[homestyle]

Nice agates Steve, I really like the one that looks like it’s on fire.

Here are a few agates I’ve stumbled across while wondering around.

[homestyle]

These two are thundereggs, Oregon’s state rock. I got them both at local rock shows. When the guy broke the little one open I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of points inside. The bookends are from the Lucky Strike Mine in the Ochoco Mountains.

[Jones River Judy]

We inherited some rocks and we don't really know what they are. They looked interesting so we kept them.