Goose eggs are ideal for etching.  Unlike most chicken eggs, the shells are thick and strong, allowing a decent depth of etch in them, resulting in a significant level of relief.

I use Acid Magic, a type of fume-less hydrochloric acid, originally sold as a swimming pool chemical.  Etching is done by first writing the design with wax, then applying acid to the egg’s surface to let it etch.  Once the desired amount of etching has been achieved, the wax is melted off, revealing a white (or cream) on white design.

In these photos, you can see the waxed and de-waxed version of the same egg:

It is important to use an egg with a good, uniformly thick shells.  Eggs with thinner areas should be avoided, lest you end up with this:

Below are examples of my etched goose egg pysanky.  You can also have a look in the “Winter Deer” section for an example with etching and dyeing.

  Faux Sgraffito Goose Egg Pysanky        Butterfly Goose Egg Pysanky