diff --git a/src/blobs.rs b/src/blobs.rs
index 0c9f057..2199970 100644
--- a/src/blobs.rs
+++ b/src/blobs.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use crate::error::GolgiError;
 /// # Example
 ///
 /// ```rust
-/// use golgi::blobs;
+/// use golgi::{blobs, GolgiError};
 ///
 /// fn lookup_blob_path() -> Result<(), GolgiError> {
 ///     let blob_ref = "&JlJHc9yeG1EpZA9fIPGLzUKDH0FeR39Ai57euhKT1G8=.sha256";
@@ -30,12 +30,18 @@ use crate::error::GolgiError;
 /// }
 /// ```
 pub fn get_blob_path(blob_id: &str) -> Result<String, GolgiError> {
-    let dot_index = blob_id.rfind('.').ok_or_else(|| {
-        GolgiError::SigilLink(format!(
-            "Invalid blob ID; no dot index was found: {}",
+    // ensure the id starts with the correct sigil link
+    if !blob_id.starts_with('&') {
+        return Err(GolgiError::SigilLink(format!(
+            "incorrect first character, expected '&' sigil: {}",
             blob_id
-        ))
-    })?;
+        )));
+    }
+
+    // find the dot index denoting the start of the algorithm definition tag
+    let dot_index = blob_id
+        .rfind('.')
+        .ok_or_else(|| GolgiError::SigilLink(format!("no dot index was found: {}", blob_id)))?;
 
     // obtain the base64 portion (substring) of the blob id
     let base64_str = &blob_id[1..dot_index];
@@ -82,3 +88,58 @@ pub fn hash_blob(buffer: &[u8]) -> Result<(String, String), GolgiError> {
 
     Ok((hex_hash, blob_id))
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use crate::blobs;
+
+    /* HAPPY PATH TESTS */
+
+    #[test]
+    fn blob_path() {
+        let blob_ref = "&JlJHc9yeG1EpZA9fIPGLzUKDH0FeR39Ai57euhKT1G8=.sha256";
+        let blob_path = blobs::get_blob_path(blob_ref);
+        assert!(blob_path.is_ok());
+        assert_eq!(
+            blob_path.unwrap(),
+            "26/524773dc9e1b5129640f5f20f18bcd42831f415e477f408b9edeba1293d46f"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn hashed_blob() {
+        // pretend this represents a file which has been written to a buffer
+        let buffer = vec![7; 128];
+        let hash_result = blobs::hash_blob(&buffer);
+        assert!(hash_result.is_ok());
+        let (hex_hash, blob_id) = hash_result.unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            hex_hash,
+            "4c1398e54d53e925cff04da532f4bbaf15f75b5981fc76c2072dfdc6491a9fb1"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            blob_id,
+            "&TBOY5U1T6SXP8E2lMvS7rxX3W1mB/HbCBy39xkkan7E=.sha256"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /* SAD PATH TESTS */
+
+    #[test]
+    fn blob_id_without_sigil() {
+        let blob_ref = "JlJHc9yeG1EpZA9fIPGLzUKDH0FeR39Ai57euhKT1G8=.sha256";
+        match blobs::get_blob_path(blob_ref) {
+            Err(e) => assert_eq!(e.to_string(), "SSB blob ID error: incorrect first character, expected '&' sigil: JlJHc9yeG1EpZA9fIPGLzUKDH0FeR39Ai57euhKT1G8=.sha256"),
+            _ => panic!(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn blob_id_without_algo() {
+        let blob_ref = "&JlJHc9yeG1EpZA9fIPGLzUKDH0FeR39Ai57euhKT1G8=";
+        match blobs::get_blob_path(blob_ref) {
+            Err(e) => assert_eq!(e.to_string(), "SSB blob ID error: no dot index was found: &JlJHc9yeG1EpZA9fIPGLzUKDH0FeR39Ai57euhKT1G8="),
+            _ => panic!(),
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index c954bac..d5efe84 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ impl std::fmt::Display for GolgiError {
             // then have the core display msg be: "SSB RPC error: {}", context
             GolgiError::Rpc(ref err) => write!(f, "SSB RPC failure: {}", err),
             GolgiError::Sbot(ref err) => write!(f, "Sbot returned an error response: {}", err),
-            GolgiError::SigilLink(ref context) => write!(f, "SSB sigil-link error: {}", context),
+            GolgiError::SigilLink(ref context) => write!(f, "SSB blob ID error: {}", context),
             GolgiError::SerdeJson(_) => write!(f, "Failed to serialize JSON slice"),
             //GolgiError::WhoAmI(ref err) => write!(f, "{}", err),
             GolgiError::ContentType(ref err) => write!(