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I was convinced this river stone was a geode until I cracked it open.
Turns out it was just a solid lump of granite, so how do you vet potential geodes before risking your hammer?
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skyler9456mo ago
Did you try tapping it to hear if it sounded hollow? I used to assume all smooth river stones were geodes until I wasted a day on solid rock. Now I only crack ones that feel lighter and have a distinct, hollow ring when tapped.
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max_johnson6mo ago
What if the hollow tap test is just creating false hope? (I've had dense basalt sound deceptively hollow because of internal fractures, while some of my best geodes gave a dull thud.) Sometimes you just need to accept that cracking open plain stones is part of the hunt, and over-vetting might make you miss the weird, heavy ones that are actually packed with crystals.
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susansingh6mo ago
Have you ever thought about how the hollow tap test works best when paired with other checks? (I mean, it's not a silver bullet, but what in geology is?) @max_johnson's point about dense basalt is valid, but that's why you also consider weight and surface texture. Relying solely on sound might lead you astray, but dismissing it entirely could mean missing obvious clues. Honestly, the joy is in the unpredictability, but a little vetting saves time without killing the fun.
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logan_wells6mo ago
Tbh, I always check if the area's even known for geodes before bothering with the tap test. That local knowledge saves more hammers than any sound check.
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