State Gemstones and Dates They Were Adopted

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

Telling a Good Poem from a Bad One

Telling a Good Poem from a Bad One Telling a Good Poem from a Bad One Telling a Good Poem from a Bad One By Maeve Maddox What makes a poem good? The answer ultimately lies with the reader of the poem, but there is a certain consensus as to what makes a poem good or bad. According to the critic Coleridge, prose is words in their best order, while poetry is the best words in their best order. Poetry demands precision. The novelist can get away with less than precise expression from time to time because the story will pull the reader along. The job of the poet is to create a picture in the mind and an emotion in the heart. Every single word counts. The wrong choicea word with the wrong connotation or the wrong number of syllables or an unlovely combination of consonant soundsspoils all. The underlying thought of the poem is also important. Some poems are written to create a picture only, but the most memorable poems also convey a universal truth about the human condition. For me, a good poem leaves me with goosebumps along my arms. I think a poem is bad when it lacks a discernible point and sounds like prose. People are led to write a poem because they have been strongly moved by some event. Theyve experienced a strong emotion, received an insight, and wish to capture the experience in words. Only a few, however, succeed in turning the experience into a poem that will be meaningful to another person. On his site dedicated to examples of bad poetry, Prof. Seamus Cooney observes that most bad poetry is simply weak and ineffectual and lacking in interest. He says that memorably bad poetry is created by a poet unaware of his or her defects. He says that a really dreadful poem is the product of the right combination of lofty ambition, humorless self-confidence, and crass incompetence†¦. He collects examples of bad poems as a teaching device: For the student, having a genuine insight into the true badness of some poems is, I think, a necessary corollary of having a grasp of what makes good poems good. Heres an excerpt from one of Prof. Cooneys bad poems: Twas the year of 1869, and on the 19th of November, Which the people in Southern Germany will long remember, The great rain-storm which for twenty hours did pour down, That the rivers were overflowed and petty streams all around. from Saving a Train by William McGonagall (1825-1902) A successful poem doesnt have to rhyme or scan or have a certain pattern of lines. It does need to paint a picture with carefully chosen words. It should have a point that a reader unknown to the poet can respond to. Fortunately, poets can study a wide variety of poetrygood and badin order to learn what works and what doesnt. Some anthologies for the poet: The Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1950 The Norton Anthology of Poetry (from Old English to Cynthia Zarin [b. 1959]) The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry The Stuffed Owl: An Anthology of Bad Verse Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Whimsical WordsStory Writing 10120 Tips to Improve your Writing Productivity