Wasted $200 on a 'rare' geode that was just a painted river rock

I bought it at a roadside stand in Sedona last year, convinced by the seller's story about it being from a secret volcanic vein. Got it home, cracked it open with my rock hammer, and found nothing but solid, gray concrete inside. The 'crystals' on the outside were just glitter glue. I should have checked the weight and done a simple scratch test first. Anyone know a reliable way to spot obvious fakes like that before buying?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_emma3d ago

Glitter glue crystals, that's a new one. I once bought a "fossil" that was just a weird shaped potato chip stuck in plaster. What's the weirdest fake you've almost fallen for?

henry_murray3d ago

Ngl that potato chip fossil story is amazing. I almost bought a "meteorite" at a flea market that was just a lump of concrete with some foil stuck to it. The guy swore it fell in his yard. Saw a "dinosaur egg" that was a painted river rock. It's wild what people try to pass off.

aaron8803d ago

Honestly, it's just a cool looking rock from a trip. Not everything needs to be a real science project.