Internet Gobbles Up Cookie Monster Geode

It’s the kind of news we all needed, and the internet did not disappoint in delivering.

Providing a fun balm amid the continued politics- and coronavirus-saturated news cycles, the discovery of an agate geode that looks just like Cookie Monster has taken over the online world.

The geode was uncovered in November in the Rio Grande do Sul region of Brazil. A Brazilian contact gave gemologist Lucas Fassari the geode, and he then sent it to Mike Bowers, who has been in the trade for years.

When the egg-sized geode was cracked open, the interior revealed an agate formation that outlined the same wide smile, googly eyes and even similar coloring as many people’s favorite Sesame Street character.

Bowers said while it is “somewhat uncommon” to find a face shape within agates, it’s also just like looking at the clouds—you kind of see a face.

What makes the “Cookie Monster” agate unique is that there is no doubt—it is Cookie Monster, and no explanation is required—the image is very sharp and the grayish-blue color is perfect for the character.

What makes it museum-grade, he added, is that the “Cookie Monster” is clean and obvious to anyone, the agate hasn’t been treated, and the formation is complete on both sides.

“I have yet to see any other natural agate example of Cookie Monster.”

Clearly, everyone loves it.

This is proven in part by the offers he has been getting for it, starting at around $10,000 when it was first revealed but now that it has gone viral, offers from around the world for “way above that number.”

Bowers posted a video to Facebook, showcasing an awesome reveal of the inside set to Cookie Monster’s “C is for Cookie” song.

It’s gotten close to 1 million views, more than 13,000 shares, and 1,400 comments.

Bowers said on his Facebook page he has been “submerged” by requests to use the video, which doesn’t surprise me at all.

(As an aside, I sifted through Bowers’ page while working on this story and let me tell you, if you’re a lover of interesting mineral specimens, be sure to scroll through it. He doesn’t disappoint.)

The Facebook video went up on Jan. 16, and the Cookie Monster geode got more love on Saturday, when Dr. Jacqueline Antonovich, historian of medicine, gender and politics and assistant professor at Pennsylvania’s Muhlenberg College, tweeted about it.

My kind of news day:

"Geologist Finds Rare Formation Inside Rock That Looks Exactly Like Cookie Monster on Sesame Street" pic.twitter.com/rKftbLw804
— Dr. Jacqueline Antonovich (@jackiantonovich) January 23, 2021
 

As of Wednesday, news of the geode from her had been retweeted more than 87,000 times, plus it got so much love on Instagram, from what I saw. I alone was sent the news by more than a half-dozen people, inside the industry and out. 

I was also shocked at how many news articles have been devoted to the Cookie Monster geode, which is a great way to remind everyone why the area of gems and minerals is so much fun. 

But the ultimate sign of approval? A tweet from Cookie Monster himself.

 

Me no geologist, but me think dat rock look a lot like me... https://t.co/444KeOrAbi
— Cookie Monster (@MeCookieMonster) January 25, 2021
 

Bowers said at this point, he plans to keep the stone.

He added it likely will end up in a museum, high-end collection or belonging to “a very special person”; the person who plays Cookie Monster on Sesame Street even contacted them.  

Still, for now, they want to enjoy the stone. 

“It is totally unique and it is awesome to see everyone loving this stone as much as we do. Mother Nature millions of years ago knew it,” he said. 

The fun and enjoyment around this thing is really something.

I love that people get excited to see what nature can create, whether it’s a Sesame Street character or one of the most commonly recognized, and beloved, shapes on earth.

Earlier this month, before news of Cookie Monster blew up, Uruguay Minerals uncovered an amethyst geode on the border of Uruguay and Brazil where the crystal formation inside was in the shape of a heart. 

Here’s hoping news like this just keeps coming.