India, Oct. 21 -- You're down below the surface, torch in hand, when the stone wall breaks and you see a purple glow. A chime echoes around you and bounces off all the crystals raining down like starlight. This isn't a bug in the game; it's one of the rarest things in Minecraft: an amethyst geode. First introduced in the Caves & Cliffs update, these sparkly structures are all about exploration, creativity, and, of course, visual appeal. They're not just pretty to look at but are one of the best all-around finds and very valuable to a player who likes to mine and then craft and build swag.

Amethyst geodes are naturally occurring spherical structures found between Y-levels -64 and 30. Every geode has three layers:

* Smooth basalt: the dar...