Act of Georgia General Assembly

March 18, 1976

OFFICIAL STATE MINERAL, FOSSIL, AND QUARTZ DESIGNATED.

No. 104 (House Resolution No. 517-1385).

A Resolution.

Designating staurolite as the official State mineral, the shark tooth as the official State fossil and quartz as the official State gem; and for other purposes.

Whereas, Georgia has a wealth of minerals and gemstones; and

Whereas, staurolite is a mineral found in old crystalline rocks and is particularly well known and abundant in north Georgia; and

Whereas, staurolite crystals are known mostly as "Fairy Crosses" or "Fairy Stones", and generations after generations have collected them for good luck charms; and

Whereas, the shark tooth is a relatively common fossil in Georgia and in fossil form can be traced back 375,000,000 years; and

Whereas, the teeth are especially prized for fossil collectors and range in color from the more common blacks and grays to white, brown, blue and reddish brown; and

Whereas, quartz is the second most abundant mineral on Earth, and Georgia is blessed with a great deal of it in a wide variety of colors; and

Whereas, quartz is the amethyst that has been most used in jewelry, and clear quartz when faceted resembles diamond; and

Whereas, the importance of Georgia's minerals to the industrial growth and heritage of this State should be appropriately recognized.

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the General Assembly of Georgia that the following designations are hereby made:

(1) Staurolite is designated as the State of Georgia's official mineral.

(2) The shark tooth is designated as the State of Georgia's official fossil.

(3) Quartz is designated as the State of Georgia's official gem.

Approved May 18, 1976.

Source: Ga. Laws 1976, pp. 567-68.

(c) Carl Vinson Institute of Government, The University of Georgia

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