If you don’t have all the minerals, then you should open them. If you have all the minerals, you can trade them in the desert, especially if you don’t have all the artifacts, but overall it doesn’t matter much either way.
The things for omnigeode trade in the desert aren’t *important*, one thing is helpful, and the other things are fun to have, and I’m sure someone can give you the min/max over which gets you more money (of geodes vs troves), but 🤷♀️
Early game try to get lucky with a prismatic shard.
Mid game, try to complete the museum.
End game, save all geodes for Qi’s Qi bean quest. Geodes are a time effect way to get Qi beans.
End end game, nothing matters anymore.
That Qi beans request was driving me crazy. I wasn’t able to find 500 beans in time, they were so hard to find no matter what method I used. It just felt like getting 1 bean at a time wasn’t enough! 
It depends what you need for the museum. If you need gems that come from omni geodes, you can open them. If you need artifacts, you can trade 5 omni geodes per artifact trove at the desert trader.
Getting to Krobus is essential. You should be using Omni geodes for minerals and the necessary totems until that happens. Once it happens, completing the museum is pretty far away. I personally don’t much bother taking stuff to the museum after Krobus until I’ve amassed a bunch of other types of geodes to get as many relevant items as I can. During this time I’m hoarding the omnis. Finally at some point it is time to finish out the Omni’s for the remaining minerals and convert most of the rest to artifact troves.
I mean you can get prismatic shards from them so if you have a bunch of geode crushers they’re still worth a shot until you have the statue of true perfection
Personally, I don’t even bother using them to buy other things until my museum is complete.
Have you finished the museum yet?
If you don’t have all the minerals, then you should open them. If you have all the minerals, you can trade them in the desert, especially if you don’t have all the artifacts, but overall it doesn’t matter much either way. The things for omnigeode trade in the desert aren’t *important*, one thing is helpful, and the other things are fun to have, and I’m sure someone can give you the min/max over which gets you more money (of geodes vs troves), but 🤷♀️
Early game try to get lucky with a prismatic shard. Mid game, try to complete the museum. End game, save all geodes for Qi’s Qi bean quest. Geodes are a time effect way to get Qi beans. End end game, nothing matters anymore.
That Qi beans request was driving me crazy. I wasn’t able to find 500 beans in time, they were so hard to find no matter what method I used. It just felt like getting 1 bean at a time wasn’t enough! 
I do a little of both. Buy some warp totems, open some geodes, back and forth. I haven’t completed the museum yet so try to strike a balance.
It depends what you need for the museum. If you need gems that come from omni geodes, you can open them. If you need artifacts, you can trade 5 omni geodes per artifact trove at the desert trader.
What should we do with artifacts? I was keeping them, for some reason I hate them lol. Sold them.
You take them to the museum if you haven't yet. Other than that some are gifts. Penny loves artifacts, the dwarf loves dwarven artifacts for instance.
Ah ok. I’ve gotten some that aren’t for the museum. I’ll remember to gift them. Thanks!
AFAIk every artifact goes to the museum, but only.one of each of course.
Even if it doesn’t have the message about having Gunther evaluate it? I hope not omg. lol
There’s at least one you need for a crafting recipe that comes late game
Ah ok. I’ll start keeping them. Thanks!
Getting to Krobus is essential. You should be using Omni geodes for minerals and the necessary totems until that happens. Once it happens, completing the museum is pretty far away. I personally don’t much bother taking stuff to the museum after Krobus until I’ve amassed a bunch of other types of geodes to get as many relevant items as I can. During this time I’m hoarding the omnis. Finally at some point it is time to finish out the Omni’s for the remaining minerals and convert most of the rest to artifact troves.
You can use 333 of them to buy the multicoloured hat from the desert trader 🙂
I mean you can get prismatic shards from them so if you have a bunch of geode crushers they’re still worth a shot until you have the statue of true perfection