GEODES

Geodes are geological rock formations which occur in sedimentary and certain volcanic rocks. The exterior of most geode rocks is limestone, while the interior contains quarts crystal formations. Geodes can form in any cavity that is buried. These can be from gas bubbles, under tree roots, vesicles in lava from a volcanic eruption, or from animal’s burrows. Over a period of time the external wall hardens and dissolved silicates are deposited on the inside surface. This slow feed of mineral constituents from ground
water allows crystals to form inside the rocks.
Geodes are found in Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Utah, and Kentucky. Outside the United States they are found in Brazil, Namibia, and Mexico. Kentucky has many types of agates and they are usually nodular form. The Kentucky agates are a combination of yellow and blue banding with a banding of gray, brown, green, maroon, and pale red. The Kentucky agate nodules that contain red and black banding are very rare. The sizes of the agate range from less than one inch to more than five feet in diameter. The geodes of Rockcastle County can be found in most of the small creeks and rivers in the county. They can be used for many different things, some are made into lamps, used for fishponds, or water falls in flower gardens. I personally use mine for my flower gardens; some I keep whole and use as a boundary for the different shapes of my flowerbeds. I like to save the ones that are broken apart to put near the small colorful flowers. It helps to bring out the colors in the rocks and flowers.
Dina