Tools for Collecting

 Paleo-pick, rock hammer, 3 lb maul, a chisel, and safety glasses.

 Knee pads and gloves with latex grip.

Tools for Opening

 Hammer and chisel method.

 Geode cracker method.

 Lapidary saw method.

 Once cut with the saw, the faces of the geode can be ground down using a vibrating flat lap. The lap uses water and the following grits: 60/90, 220, 400, to get rid of any saw marks or surface blemishes. This makes the smooth surfaces needed for polishing.

 After all the grinding, the geode goes into the polishing pan which uses water and tin oxide for a mirror shine polish. Examples can be seen on the polished geode page.