Mississippi has its first-ever official state gemstone.
Governor Tate Reeves on Friday signed Senate Bill 2138 into law naming the opal the state’s gemstone.
SB 2138, which passed unanimously in both the House of Representatives and Senate, describes the state’s opal as a “precious gemstone which shows brilliant flashes of fire, ranging from green to red.”
The Mississippi Opal is the only gem naturally produced within the state’s geographical boundaries. The gemstone was first discovered during geological mapping of the Catahoula Formation in Claiborne County by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Geology.
According to the bill, the opal was selected by the legislature because it “encourages pride in our state’s rich natural heritage.”
Mississippi officially has a state gemstone! I was happy to sign legislation declaring it to be the beautiful Mississippi Opal, the only naturally occurring gemstone in our state.
Thanks to @firstladyofms and @MDEQ for all your work on this effort! pic.twitter.com/EdnBBjaplZ
— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) March 3, 2023
