Most U.S. states have their very own official state rock, mineral, gemstone, or fossil. The first state to declare an official rock was California, which designated serpentine as its official state rock in 1965. The first declared gemstone was a diamond in Arkansas in 1967. That year was also significant for North Carolina and Nebraska, which were the first states to declare an official state fossil: an imperial mammoth’s tooth and Toredo petrified wood, respectively.
The official state rock of The Fossil Cartel’s home state of Oregon is the thunderegg, our state gem is Oregon sunstone, and our state fossil is the metasequoia.
Take a look at the list of official state rocks in the U.S.:
Alabama: Hematite (mineral), Marble (rock or stone), Star blue quartz (gemstone)
Alaska: Gold (mineral), Nephrite jade (gemstone)
Arizona: Wulfenite (mineral), Turquoise (gemstone)
Arkansas: Quartz (mineral), Bauxite (rock or stone), Diamond (gemstone)
California: Gold (mineral), Serpentine (rock or stone), Benitoite (gemstone)
Colorado: Rhodochrosite (mineral), Yule marble (rock or stone), Aquamarine (gemstone)
Connecticut: Almandine garnet (mineral), Trap rock (rock or stone), Garnet (gemstone)
Delaware: Sillimanite (mineral)
Florida: Agatized coral (rock or stone), Moonstone (gemstone)
Georgia: Staurolite (mineral), Marble (rock or stone), Quartz (gemstone)
Hawaii: —
Idaho: Star garnet (gemstone)
Illinois: Fluorite (mineral)
Indiana: Limestone (rock or stone)
Iowa: Geode (rock or stone)
Kansas: —
Kentucky: Coal (rock or stone), Freshwater pearl (gemstone)
Louisiana: Agate (gemstone), Petrified palmwood (rock or stone)
Maine: Tourmaline (gemstone)
Maryland: Patuxent River stone (rock or stone), Garnet (gemstone)
Massachusetts: Rhodonite (gemstone)
Michigan: Native copper (mineral), Petoskey stone (rock or stone)
Minnesota: Agate (gemstone)
Mississippi: Petrified wood (rock or stone)
Missouri: Galena (mineral), Mozarkite (rock or stone)
Montana: Sapphire (gemstone), Agate (gemstone)
Nebraska: Blue agate (gemstone)
Nevada: Silver (mineral), Black fire opal (gemstone)
New Hampshire: Beryl (mineral), Smoky quartz (gemstone)
New Jersey: Franklinite (mineral)
New Mexico: Turquoise (gemstone)
New York: Garnet (gemstone)
North Carolina: Gold (mineral), Granite (rock or stone), Emerald (gemstone)
North Dakota: —
Ohio: Flint (rock or stone), Ohio flint (gemstone)
Oklahoma: Rose rock (rock or stone), Hourglass selenite (gemstone)
Oregon: Sunstone (gemstone), Thunderegg (rock or stone)
Pennsylvania: —
Rhode Island: Bowenite (rock or stone)
South Carolina: Amethyst (gemstone)
South Dakota: Rose quartz (gemstone), Fairburn agate (gemstone)
Tennessee: Limestone (rock or stone), Agate (gemstone), Freshwater pearl (gemstone)
Texas: Silver (mineral), Blue topaz (gemstone), Petrified palmwood (rock or stone)
Utah: Copper (mineral), Topaz (gemstone)
Vermont: Talc (mineral), Marble (rock or stone), Grossular garnet (gemstone)
Virginia: Nelsonite (rock or stone)
Washington: Petrified wood (rock or stone)
West Virginia: Coal (rock or stone)
Wisconsin: Galena (mineral), Red granite (rock or stone)
Wyoming: Jade (gemstone)