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.
^ 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.[79] 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.[80]
^ 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.[81]
^ 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.[82]
^ 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.[83][84]
^ 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.[85]
References
^"Alabama Emblems". Alabama Emblems, Symbols and Honors. Alabama Department of Archives & History. 2001-07-12. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
^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."