![]() ![]() Dubbed the "Enchanted Cave" it was reportedly found by a farmer in Artigas, Uruguay. It measures an astounding 18 feet (5.5m) wide. But this is certainly not the largest amethyst geode.Ī more recently discovered Uruguayan amethyst geode currently located at the Crystal Castle & Shambhala Gardens in Byron Bay, Australia weighs in at over 44,000 lbs (20,000 kg). It measures 9 feet 10 inches (3m) long, 5 feet 10 inches (1.8m) wide and is 7 feet 2 inches (2.2 meters) high. While, none have been discovered which match the dimensions of the Pulpi Geode or Ohio’s crystal cave, some amethyst geodes from Uruguay are particularly noteworthy.Īccording to Guinness World Records, the largest one is a 28,660 lb (13,090 kg) monster located at the Shandong Tianyu Museum Of Natural History in China. Most of these geodes are less than a foot across but occasionally they can reach impressive sizes. Over millions of years, groundwater precipitated silica inside of these cavities, forming quartz crystals on their walls. The geodes began as gas bubbles that were trapped within molten lava as it cooled, leaving hollow spaces. The 120 million year old basalt flows in Artigas, Uruguay are famous for producing beautiful, dark purple amethyst geodes. Tours of the natural phenomenon are operated to this day by the Heineman Winery. However, he later decided to halt mining and turn the crystal cave into a tourist attraction. Strontium was used in the manufacture of fireworks as it gives off a brilliant red flame when burned. Gustav originally mined the celestite crystals for their strontium. The walls were lined with well-developed, tabular celestite crystals up to 3 feet long. In 1887, a German immigrant Gustav Heineman found this gigantic geode at a depth of 30 feet while digging a well beneath his winery. It measures a staggering 30 feet (10 meters) long but was larger when it was first discovered. Some people have noted that the Pulpi geode probably shouldn't count as a geode in a classical sense due to it's shape not being particularly spherical.Ī massive, celestite crystal lined geode located near Put-in-Bay, Ohio also is said to be the largest geode ever found. For years the geode was sealed off to prevent vandalism, but in August, 2019 it was opened for public tours. ![]() Indulge in a delicious lunch and homemade desserts. Wander through the tranquil Shambhala Gardens and rainforest. Stand between two of the tallest crystals on earth. The Pulpi Geode was discovered in 1999 by members of the Mineralogist Group of Madrid within the abandoned mine. Open Every Day A short scenic journey into Byron Bay’s hinterland lies a magical sanctuary. Based on the size of the gypsum crystals, it’s believed that they started forming less than 2 million years ago. Then, as the water temperature and water chemistry changed, gypsum started precipitating out of the groundwater forming selenite crystals along the walls of the cavity. A large, hollow space formed within the rock as acidic water dissolved the soluble dolomites which form the Sierra del Aguilón mountain range. This immense geode was formed in two different phases, the first starting about 6 million years ago. ![]()
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