List of U.S. state minerals, rocks, stones and gemstones
Leaders of states in the U.S. which have significant mineral deposits often create a state mineral, rock, stone or gemstone to promote interest in their natural resources, history, tourism, etc. Not every state has an official state mineral, rock, stone and/or gemstone, however.
In the chart below, a year which is listed within parentheses represents the year during which that mineral, rock, stone or gemstone was officially adopted as a state symbol or emblem.
Table of minerals, rocks, stones and gemstones
See also
- Lists of U.S. state insignia
- List of U.S. state fossils
Endnotes
- ^ In 1965, California became the first state to name an official state rock. A 2010 effort led by State Senator Gloria J. Romero, a Democrat from Los Angeles, sought to remove serpentine from its perch as the state's official stone. Organizations such as the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization have supported the move as the olive green rock is a source of chrysotile, a form of asbestos that can cause mesothelioma and other forms of cancer. Geologists have rallied to oppose the bill, arguing that there is no way to be harmed from casual exposure to serpentine.[72] The bill did not reach a final vote and died in committee at the end of August 2010. In 1986, California named benitoite as its state gemstone, a form of the mineral barium titanium silicate that is unique to the Golden State and only found in gem quality in San Benito County.[73]
- ^ Colorado is the only state whose geological symbols reflect the national flag's colors: red (rhodochrosite), white (yule marble), and blue (aquamarine).
- ^ Florida's state gem, moonstone, was adopted to highlight Florida's role in the United States' Lunar program, which landed the first astronauts on the Moon.[74]
- ^ Since 1983, Massachusetts has had 3 other official state rocks: State Historical Rock (Plymouth Rock), State Explorer Rock (Dighton Rock), and State Building and Monument Stone (Granite). In 2008, a State Glacial Rock (Rolling Rock) was designated as well.[75]
- ^ A measure passed the Oregon Senate in March 1965 naming the thunderegg as Oregon's state rock, in a move that was supported as a way to stimulate tourism in the state. The thunderegg, a nodule-like geological structure, similar to a geode, that is formed within a rhyolitic lava flow, were said by the Native Americans of Warm Springs to have been created by thunder spirits that lived in the craters of Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson.[76][77]
- ^ In 2009, West Virginia named bituminous coal as its official state rock, in a resolution that noted that the coal industry plays an "integral part of the economic and social fabric of the state". West Virginia joined Kentucky and Utah, which also recognize coal as a state mineral or rock. The drive to name coal as an official state symbol was initiated by a high school student from Wharncliffe, West Virginia, who initiated her project at a school fair and collected 2,500 signatures on a petition that was submitted to legislators.[78]
References
- ^ "Alabama Emblems". Alabama Emblems, Symbols and Honors. Alabama Department of Archives & History. 2001-07-12. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- ^ "State of Alaska". Alaska Symbols. State of Alaska. Archived from the original on 2009-02-08. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Alaska Statutes 2019". Alaska State Legislature. Alaska Legislature. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ "State of Arizona Secretary of State". Arizona Symbols. State of Arizona. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ Arizona Facts, Office of the Governor, retrieved 2019-12-19
- ^ "View Document". www.azleg.gov. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
- ^ https://www.geology.arkansas.gov/docs/pdf/education/arkansas-quartz-crystals.pdf
- ^ "State of Arkansas Secretary of State". Arkansas Symbols. State of Arkansas. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ https://www.geology.arkansas.gov/minerals/industrial/gemstone.html
- ^ "State of California Symbols". California Symbols. State of California. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ California Government Code, §§ 420-429.8
- ^ "State of Colorado Symbols". Colorado Symbols. State of Colorado. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "State of Connecticut – Sites, Seals and Symbols". State of Connecticut. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Delaware Facts and Symbols". State of Delaware. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Chapter 21". Delaware Code Online. State of Delaware. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ "State of Florida Symbols". Florida Symbols. State of Florida. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Georgia State Symbols". Georgia Secretary of State Archives. State of Georgia. Archived from the original on 2009-11-18. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ Grigg, Richard W. (1993). "Precious Coral Fisheries of Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific Islands" (PDF). Marine Fisheries Review. Seattle, Washington: National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. 55 (2): 54. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ^ Hawaii State Legislature https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol01_Ch0001-0042F/HRS0005/HRS_0005-0015.htm. Retrieved 20 July 2020. Missing or empty
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(help) - ^ "Idaho Symbols". State of Idaho. Archived from the original on 2010-06-30. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Illinois Facts – Symbols". State of Illinois. Archived from the original on 2006-04-15. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "IHB: Emblems and Symbols". State of Indiana. Archived from the original on 2009-03-17. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Iowa General Assembly – Iowa State Symbols". State of Iowa. Archived from the original on 2010-04-30. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "State Symbols and Song". Iowa Publications Online. State Library of Iowa. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ "2018 Statute Chapter 73 Article 37", Official state rock, Kansas Legislature, retrieved 2019-12-05
- ^ "2018 Statute Chapter 73 Article 38", Official state mineral, Kansas Legislature, retrieved 2019-12-05
- ^ "2018 Statute Chapter 73 Article 39", Official state gemstone, Kansas Legislature, retrieved 2019-12-05
- ^ Jackson & Mariner Svaty (2018-03-15), Testimony in Support of H.B. 2650 (before the Kansas Senate) (PDF),
Mr. Chairman, we would recommend that rather than naming the state rock “limestone”, which is prevalent in different forms around the country, we should declare a limestone specific to Kansas as the state rock. Our recommendation would be Greenhorn limestone, the famous “post rock” limestone that has the largest distribution statewide,[sic - Cottonwood and other limestones have larger distributions in the state] running from Ford County all the way to Washington County [i.e., Smoky Hills], and can be seen as fenceposts everywhere in between."
- ^ "Kentucky State Symbols". State of Kentucky. Archived from the original on 2006-12-13. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "RS 49:163.1 State Mineral". State of Louisiana. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
- ^ "RS 49:163 State Gem". State of Louisiana. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
- ^ "Maine Symbols". State of Maine. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ http://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/1/title1sec213.html
- ^ "Maryland Symbols". State of Maryland. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Massachusetts Symbols". State of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Michigan's State Symbols" (PDF). State of Michigan. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Minnesota Symbols". State of Minnesota. Archived from the original on 2009-12-07. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "State of Mississippi Symbols". State of Mississippi. Archived from the original on 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
- ^ "Office of the Secretary of State, Missouri – State Symbols". State of Missouri. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "State Gem, Montana Code Annotated section 1-1-501". Montana Legislature. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
- ^ "Nebraska Symbols". State of Nebraska. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Nevada Symbols". State of Nevada. Archived from the original on 2009-03-09. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "NRS: Chapter 235 - State Seal, Motto and Symbols; Gifts and Endowments".
- ^ "Fast New Hampshire Facts". State of New Hampshire. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "New Jersey Symbols". State of New Jersey. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
- ^ "New Mexico Symbols". State of New Mexico. Archived from the original on 2008-05-01. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "New York State Information". State of New York. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "The State Symbols". State of North Carolina. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
- ^ "State Symbols". State of North Dakota. Archived from the original on 2012-01-27. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Ohio Symbols". State of Ohio. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Oklahoma State Icons". State of Oklahoma. Archived from the original on 2014-01-15. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "SCR0014 - 2013SCR0014" (PDF). Oregon State Legislature. Oregon State Legislature. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ "Oregon Symbols". State of Oregon. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Rocks and Minerals". Pennsylvania Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Facts and History". State of Rhode Island. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "South Carolina Symbols". State of South Carolina. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "South Dakota Mineral Law". sdlegislature.gov. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
- ^ "South Dakota Symbols". State of South Dakota. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Tennessee Symbols". State of Tennessee. Archived from the original on 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
- ^ "Texas Symbols". State of Texas. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Utah Symbols". State of Utah. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Vermont Laws". Vermont General Assembly. State of Vermont. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ "Vermont Emblems". State of Vermont. Archived from the original on 2009-10-29. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Vermont Laws".
- ^ "SB 352 Nelsonite; designating as state rock, etc". State of Virginia. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
- ^ "Student project leads to the development of new law and the Commonwealth's first state rock". Piedmont Virginia Community College. Archived from the original on 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
- ^ "Washington Symbols". State of Washington. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "State Facts". State of West Virginia. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "West Virginia House Concurrent Resolution No. 37, signed into law June 2009". State of West Virginia. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
- ^ "Wisconsin State Symbols". State of Wisconsin. Archived from the original on 2010-01-12. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Wyoming Emblems". State of Wyoming. Archived from the original on 2011-09-06. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ Steinhauer, Jennifer. "California May Drop Rock, and Geologists Feel the Pain", The New York Times, July 13, 2010. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- ^ Hartigan, Elizabeth. "CALIFORNIA FINDS ITSELF A REAL GEM", Chicago Tribune, March 12, 1986. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- ^ "State Symbols". Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources. 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
- ^ "CIS: State Symbols". William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ via United Press International. "Senate Votes Thunderegg State Rock", Eugene Register-Guard, March 6, 1965. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- ^ via Associated Press. "House Approves State Rock", Eugene Register-Guard, March 26, 1965. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- ^ O'Caroll, Eoin. "West Virginia names coal as its official state rock", The Christian Science Monitor, June 12, 2009. Accessed July 13, 2010.
External links
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Media files used on this page
Author/Creator: unknown, Licence: PD
These mineral images are free to use how you wish.
Author/Creator: No machine-readable author provided. Metalle-w assumed (based on copyright claims)., Licence: CC BY 3.0
Kapitol des US-Bundesstaates Vermont in Montpelier (Bild: Alexander C. Wimmer)
cabochon of agatized fossil palm wood from south-central United States (TX-LA)
Author/Creator: Gregory Phillips, Licence: CC-BY-SA-3.0
Detail of a polished slab of bowenite serpentine, showing typical cloudy white patches and veining.
Author/Creator: Didier Descouens, Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0
Babingtonite, Prehnite
- Locality: Lane & Sons Traprock quarries, Westfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, USA
- Size of babingtonite crytal: 5,3 mm.
Garnet. Jeffery Mine, Quebec, Canada. Bureau of Mines, Mineral Specimens C\01687.
blue seam agate from Nebraska (state gemstone)
Mineraler Rose Kvarts
A cabochon made of rose quartz mined from Georgia's famous Hogg Mine.
(c) I, Jonathan Zander, CC-BY-SA-3.0
Macro of an unknown polished rock.
A polished slice of agatized Lithostrotionella coral, which is currently the official State Gemstone for West Virginia.
Author/Creator: Astynax, Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
Geodes from Keokuk County are one of Iowa's official state symbols. This photo shows the exterior of one such geode on the left side, alongside the exposed interior cavity on the right side. The inside of these geodes can contain crystals of several minerals in various colors.
A cabochon of Tennessee Paint Rock, an agate type found in southern Tennessee and northern Alabama.
(c) Erik Vercammen, CC BY 3.0
Oregonite, Awaruite
- Locality: Josephine Creek placers, Josephine Creek District, Josephine Co., Oregon, USA
- Dimensions: 11 mm x 4 mm x 5 mm
- A nugget of oregonite with "josephinite" (= awaruite), from Excalibur Mineral Company. Collection and photo Erik Vercammen.
Black coral colony.
Author/Creator: Didier Descouens, Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
Amethyst
- Locality : Mun. Las Vigas de Ramírez (Mun. de Profesor Rafael Ramírez), Veracruz, Mexico
- Size : 5x3x3cm
Petrified log from pittsboro mississippi
Pearl necklace made from freshwater pearls.
Author/Creator: No machine-readable author provided. Kluka assumed (based on copyright claims)., Licence: CC-BY-SA-3.0
staurolit, pochodzenie Madagaskar, autor zdjęcia Sebastian Socha 11.10. 2006 r.
Author/Creator: Cacophony, Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0
A Thunderegg, the state rock of Oregon.
Author/Creator: Wilson44691, Licence: CC0
Agatized coral from the Hawthorn Group (Oligocene-Miocene) of Florida.
Author/Creator:
The original uploader was Jtmichcock at English Wikipedia.
Later versions were uploaded by Rmhermen at en.wikipedia., Licence: CC-BY-SA-3.0Photo of a Petoisky Stone, Hexagonaria percarinata self-made
(c) Eurico Zimbres, CC BY-SA 2.5
Itu granite. It has a rapakivi texture (k-feldspar rimmed by oligoclase) and is the same as the Moutonne rock. Salto, Brasil
Wyoming nephrite jade
Turquoise pebble, made by tumbling the rough rock in a rotating drum with abrasive. The process takes many hours. Picture made without a camera by laying the carving on a flat bed scanner
Author/Creator: Ra'ike (see also: de:Benutzer:Ra'ike), Licence: CC BY 3.0
Topaz from Utah/USA
I took this photo at a gem show.
various gem colors of Oregon sunstone labradorite
Author/Creator: The original uploader was H at English Wikipedia., Licence: CC BY 2.5
en:Fluorite with en:Pyrite, (Crystal courtesy of en:User:chaosdna)
cabochon of Lake Superior Agate from Minnesota
Source: Chris Ralph. This photo taken by Chris Ralph of http://nevada-outback-gems.com[1], Photographer and author: photo taken of turquoise owned by author.
(c) Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Wulfenite
- Locality: Red Cloud Mine, Silver District, Trigo Mts, La Paz County, Arizona, USA (Locality at mindat.org)
- Size: 6.0 x 4.5 x 3.5 cm.
- A 1.2 cm, gemmy and lustrous, reddish-orange wulfenite crystal is perched on vuggy, drusy quartz matrix on this fine specimen from the last "hurrah" of the Red Cloud Mine. The wulfenites have classic, sharp beveled edges. The smaller wulfenites are a nice accent to this fine piece.
Author/Creator: Didier Descouens, Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
Amber from San Vicente de la Barquera (Cantabrian Coast). Solutrean layer (22 000 to 17 000 before present) of the Altamira cave. Excavations: Hugo Obermaier, Henri Breuil, Henri Bégouën 1925.
Author/Creator: Géry Parent, Licence: Copyrighted free use
crystals of beryl var. emerald, crystals of mica var. phlogopite : Carnaiba Mine, Pindobaçu, Campo Formoso ultramafic complex, Bahia, Brazil - crystals : 35 mm
tumbled river agate stone
Black opal cabochon from Virgin Valley, Nevada
Anthracite coal
Author/Creator: Eric Hunt, Licence: CC BY-SA 2.5
Rhodochrosite, from the Sweet Home Mine, Colorado, private collection
Author/Creator: James St. John, Licence: CC BY 2.0
Agate ("Fairburn Agate") from South Dakota, USA. (~3.15 centimeters across at its widest)
"Agate" is a rockhound/collector term for cavities in rocks (usually sedimentary rocks such as limestone or igneous rocks such as basalt) that have been partially or completely filled with irregularly concentric layers of microcrystalline, fibrous quartz (chalcedony - SiO2). Agate is quartz.
Attractive, multicolored and multipatterned agate has long been collected from a large area near the towns of Fairburn and Interior and south of the town of Kadoka and in the White River Badlands. This region has surficial, loose, late Cenozoic-aged gravels derived from weathering and erosion of bedrock in the Black Hills. Some of this gravel is agate. The Fairburn-area agates are remarkably colorful and desirable. The highest-quality examples have sold in the past for between 10,000 and 20,000 American dollars.
Studies have shown that Fairburn Agate is ultimately derived from limestones of the Minnelusa Formation (Upper Pennsylvanian to Lower Permian), which outcrops in the nearby Black Hills.Marble
Author/Creator: Lichtbildner: Sven Teschke, Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0 de
Description: Desert rose
Author/Creator: No machine-readable author provided. S kitahashi assumed (based on copyright claims)., Licence: CC-BY-SA-3.0
Sillimanite made in Sri Lanka. taken by Azuncha.
Author/Creator: Yinan Chen, Licence: Public Domain
An album of crystals and Rocks Spiky crystal rock
This is a picture of Cumberlandite, photographed by myself.
A slice of mozarkite, which is the State Stone for Missouri
Author/Creator: Daniel Schwen, Licence: CC-BY-SA-3.0
Petrified tree in Petrified Forest National Park, USA.
wraithwing, took the photo my self same one only small size
Sapphire originating from Rock Creek in Montana
Benitoite on natrolite, in my collection.
Author/Creator: Smdale, Licence: CC0
Cabochon Cut Gemstone derived from the Crassostrea Virginica Mollusk
Brooks Britt Specimen and Photo
These mineral images are free to use how you wish.
Author/Creator: IveGoneAway, Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
The upper units, Pfeifer Shale (buff), Jetmore Chalk (beige), and Hartland Shale (grey) of the Greenhorn Limestone formation visible in the road cut on Interstate 70 in Kansas, as it climbs over the first of the middle range of the Smoky Hills at the Smoky Hills Wind Farm west of Salina, Kansas.
A smokey quartz crystal cluster collected near North Groton, New Hampshire.
tumbled agates (central US)
sketch showing Texas Lone Star gem cut
(c) Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Awaruite
- Locality: Josephine Creek, Josephine Creek District, Josephine County, Oregon, USA (Locality at mindat.org)
- Size: 2.2 x 1.2 x 0.9 cm.
- Awaruite is a nickel-iron alloy-bearing rock named after its place of origin, Josephine County in southwestern Oregon. These awaruite pebbles occur as detritus in several streams that originate and flow across the Josephine Peridotite. This pebble/nugget weighs 13 grams. It was in the Millard Grobon collection, and after that in the collection of Gene Meieran.
Author/Creator: Astynax, Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
Nelsonite from Nelson County, Virginia USA. This is the official State Rock for Virginia. Specimen dimension 5 cm across.
Author/Creator: Didier Descouens, Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0
Topaz - Xanda Mine, Virgem da Lapa, Araçuaí Pegmatite District, Eastern Brazilian Pegmatite Province, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil (3x3cm)
a six-rayed Idaho star garnet cabochon
a cabochon of cryptocrystaline quartz flint from Ohio