State Gemstones and Dates They Were Adopted

Thirty-five of the 50 states have designated an official state gem or gemstone. Montana and Nevada have both named two (one precious and one semiprecious), while Texas has named a state gem and gemstone cut.   Most of the gem names are linked to the picture gallery of state gemstones. The Adoption Date link goes to the best existing material from the respective state government or science institution. More detail below the table.   State Gemstone Adoption Date Alabama Star blue quartz 1990 Alaska Jade 1968 Arizona Turquoise 1974 Arkansas Diamond 1967 California Benitoite 1985 Colorado Aquamarine 1971 Florida Moonstone 1970 Georgia Quartz 1976 Hawaii Black coral 1987 Idaho Star garnet 1967 Kentucky Freshwater pearl 1986 Louisiana Cabochon cut oyster shell 2011 Maine Tourmaline 1971 Maryland Patuxent River stone 2004 Massachusetts Rhodonite 1979 Michigan Chlorastrolite (pumpellyite) 1973 Minnesota Lake Superior agate 1969 Montana SapphireMontana agate 19691969 Nebraska Blue agate 1967 Nevada Nevada turquoiseVirgin Valley black fire opal 19871987 New Hampshire Smoky quartz 1985 New Mexico Turquoise 1967 New York Almandine garnet 1969 North Carolina Emerald 1973 Ohio Ohio flint 1965 Oregon Oregon sunstone 1987 South Carolina Amethyst 1969 South Dakota Fairburn agate 1966 Tennessee Freshwater pearls 1979 Texas Texas Blue topazLone Star Cut (gemstone cut) 19691977 Utah Topaz 1969 Vermont Grossular garnet 1991 Washington Petrified wood 1975 West Virginia Fossil coral Lithostrotionella 1990 Wyoming Nephrite jade 1967 A gemstone is not necessarily a sparkling crystal—the majority of state gemstones are not crystalline minerals, but rather colorful rocks that look their best as flat, polished cabochons (perhaps in a bolo tie, belt buckle or ring). Most are unpretentious, inexpensive stones with democratic appeal.   Above all else, the gems are unique to or represent their state in some fashion.  Arkansas adoption of diamond as their state gem, for example, is due to the state having the only public diamond deposit in the USA. On the other hand, Floridas state gem (moonstone) is not actually found in Florida. Instead, its adoption  is a tribute to the role that the state played in the  1969 moon landing. Of course, state legislators do not follow the same guidelines as geologists for how they classify a gem. In many cases, states have named rocks, minerals or even fossils  as their gem or gemstone.   Helpful Links Many gems have both a gemstone name and a mineral name, cross-listed in  this pair of tables.  My favorite and most easily navigable site for all state symbols is  statesymbolsusa.org.   Be sure to check out my list of state fossils, state minerals and state rocks. You might find that the lawmakers did not necessarily follow the geologic rule book for those classifications, either.   Edited by Brooks Mitchell