The Origin Story of American Geode

American Geode(AG) is based upon a bespoke network of friends, hobbies, adventures and rockhounding

It has two parts: (1) the discovery of the source of the incredible geodes that we sell, trade and donate to museums, clubs and galleries; and (2) the meeting of the American Geode team of Joe and Charles.

Watch our video of the "Lost Geodes" in Indiana

To start, let's tell "The Story of the Geodes"

Charles was visiting Southern Indiana in 2009 for a fraternity brother remembrance. A group of them had assembled in Heltonville, Indiana to pay their last respects that culminated into a huge 8-foot bonfire celebration. Their good friend Sean happened to be hosting the gathering on his farm that was located only by handwritten directions or by word of mouth. Even GPS will not find this rural Indiana location! They were literally so far out in a remote clearing surrounded by woods that no one could hurt himself unless he happened to run straight into a towering 100-year-old tree. This celebration of life lasted throughout the evening and only started to wind down when the sun started to rise. Now here is when the magic happened.

Before Charles went to sleep, or maybe it was after a hazy awakening for coffee and rustic breakfast, he decided to clear his head with a stroll down a very steep hill nicknamed “Ball Breaker's” hill due to its treacherous slope. He wanted to walk along the nearby tranquil river. He quicklymade it down the dangerous descent toward the lapping sounds of the winding river and tripped over something . . . something big . . . that turned out to be a giant watermelon-sized geode!

He looked around and noticed the river banks were greatly eroded. Charles started focusing on illuminated geode halves that were the size of melons, bowling balls, and even volley balls! At the time he neither had the means to transport them back up the steep hill, nor did he have the strength after the all-night celebration. Therefore, he decided to use his excavation skills to retrieve a few and at least stack them neatly instead. He left them there as a “rockhound” marker for a timely return.











Almost a year later in 2010, Indiana would suffer its worst drought in nearly a century. Charles returned to the same spot, this time well prepared with a heavy duty Red Flyer Wagon, reinforced knapsacks, and nylon backpacks. Happily, the geodes he had stacked marking the location were still there! And since the drought had even reduced the river to a mere trickle, he discovered the riverbed was actually covered in geodes. He immediately began digging and loading up geodes, making multiple trips while ascending that damn hill, towing 200-300 lbs. of geodes each time. These are the identical geodes you see in their real cracking geodes videos.

Their geodes are definitely from a very remote and desolate region of Indiana. So you may ask them, “How did you find the geodes?”  Their answer is: “In fact, the geodes found us!”

Watch Charles discuss weather forecasts and planning Rockhound Trips

The Meeting of the American Geode Team

Joe was visiting the Manhattan offices where Charles works. While walking by Charles' desk, he glanced over and commented on an extremely peculiar specimen of quartz on the desk. Joe was literally the first person to inquire with Charles about where this fascinating rockhound mineral originated from.

Charles stated, "Well you may find this kind of crazy...last weekend I took a train and then a taxi to a rural location where an abandoned construction site was at the base of an old Tungsten mine. I was excavating gems and minerals from the abandoned mining site the entire day." Joe replied, "Well my lady-friend and I went to a deserted hiking trail in the New York mountains. We climbed down to a railroad tunnel that happened to be the site of a rock blasting project for a bridge over 50 years ago." Upon hearing that, Charles suggested to grab coffee and continue the conversation about local rockhounding adventures.

Joe and Charles have been rockhounding and mining in places well-known to locals in NY, NJ, CT, NC, and PA, ever since. Additionally, they have been very fortunate to meet good friends and gain access to private rockhounding locations across the USA. Read some of our success stories mining for beautiful Herkimer Diamonds in upstate New York. The "Gems" page describes multiple trips to Quartzsite, Arizona for Amethyst, Citrine, Garnet, and Carnelian beads in addition to our special relationship with the Apache Peridot mine. Our Fossils page displays uncommon crinoid fossil finds originating from Indiana during the Paleozoic Era and Pennsylvania Lepidophylloides from the North East. The world famous Adventure Blog is where we recount some of our rockhound adventures, social meeting gala events, and new mineral collecting friendships.

Watch the Team scout Geodes during this Indiana Rockhound outing

If you have questions about a gem, stone, fossil, or artifact that you have stumbled upon contact us via email or Twitter and we will try to help identify it with you. Rockhounding combines a sense of adventure with the science of exploration. We are continuously building a social rockhound community joining people far and near. Follow us on Twitter for our latest adventures and experience the joy of rockhounding. We strive to be kind and friendly in business and life. Do you have what it takes to be a rockhound?

If you like our website, and would like us to help promote your related business, trade, organization, gem and mineral club, gem and mineral show, please send us an inquiry. Now Get out and Rockhound!