Wait until you see this viral video that shows Cookie Monster inside a rock

We’ve heard of people seeing images of Jesus on toast or Elvis on a chip, but how about Cookie Monster in a rock?

This viral Facebook video, posted in mid-January, will make you want to scream “cooookie”.

American geologist Mike Bowers, who now owns the gem, posted a video on his Facebook page. In the video, you see him opening an ordinary egg-shaped rock to reveal a clear picture that resembles the famed Sesame Street character. The uncanny image comes complete with a bright blue face, wide open smile and two white googly eyes.

The volcanic agate was found by gemologist Lucas Fassari in the Rio Grande do Sul region of Brazil in November 2020.

According to Britannica, most agates occur in cavities in eruptive rocks or ancient lavas. The structures inside the rocks are formed over time from bubbles made from the cooling of lava, steam and gases. As the mass gradually hardens, the colors become crystalized in colored bands.

This rare quartz also means it comes with a hefty price tag. Bowers told Kennedy News that he has been offered over $10,000 by five different buyers.

For those interested in the science behind this rock design, I asked Dr. Grenville Draper, a geologist and professor at Florida International University in Miami, how this gem is naturally made.

“The object shown is a geode,” Draper said. “It starts as a large gas bubble (some can be as large as a room) in lava flow. As the rock cools, it hardens, preserving the bubble. The flow also contains steam and hot water with dissolved minerals. The hot water gets into the bubble via tiny, hairline fractures. Further cooling allows the minerals to precipitate on the walls of the geode. Many geodes show mineral banding, indicating different episodes of mineralization/precipitation. Frequently, the geode does not fill completely, and a hole, or holes, are left.  This is what happened in this case. The patterns developed can be complex.  Its banded nature often colored by other elements makes it attractive as a semi-precious gem.”

Cookie Monster even tweeted about the find, saying the resemblance is uncanny.