Arizona
Arizona has no state rock.
State mineral: copper Copper mining has been a major industry in Arizona since the 19th century. The state has six of the 10 largest copper mines in the US, including the Morenci mine in Greenlee County, Arizona, which is the largest in the country. In 2007, Arizona produced 60% of the country’s copper.
State gem: turquoise Arizona is a major producer of turquoise, an opaque, blue-green mineral that has been popular in jewelry since Native American times. It contains copper and is often found in abundance near copper deposits. Arizona is currently the leading US state for turquoise production.
Colorado
State rock: Yule Marble Yule Marble is found in the Yule Creek Valley in the West Elk Mountains of Colorado. This white, crystalline marble is composed of 99.5% calcite. It has been used in the construction of a number of prominent buildings and monuments.
State mineral: rhodochrosite Rhodochrosite is a deep red to rose pink carbonate mineral found in association with Colorado’s gold, silver, lead, zinc, and molybdenum ores. The world’s largest rhodochrosite crystal is on display at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Because rhodochrosite is so specifically associated with Colorado, it was chosen as the state mineral over other common minerals such as gold and silver.
State gem: aquamarine Aquamarine is a blue-colored variety of the mineral beryl. It was first discovered in 1881 on Mount Antero, in the Rockies of central Colorado. The state continues to be a major producer of gem-quality aquamarine.
New Mexico
New Mexico has no state rock or mineral.
State gem: turquoise Large turquoise deposits in New Mexico are present in the metamorphosed volcanics of the Los Cerillos Mountains, where they have been mined since prehistoric times. Due to the processes under which it formed, this turquoise developed in over 75 different colors. New Mexico was the largest US producer of turquoise until the 1920s; Arizona and Nevada have since become larger producers.
Utah
State rock: coal Coal is found in 17 of Utah’s 29 counties, but coal mining is primarily concentrated in Emery and Carbon counties, where coals formed in the Uinta Basin. Most coal mined in Utah is bituminous.
State mineral: copper The Kennecott’s Bingham Canyon mine in the Oquirrh Mountains is the world’s largest open-pit copper mine. Copper is a versatile metal widely valued for its capacity to conduct heat and electricity, and is used in electronics, transportation, plumbing, and alloys, among many other areas.
State gem: topaz Topaz is a hard, semiprecious gem that is found in Beaver, Juab, and Tooele counties in Utah. At Topaz Mountain, which is in the Thomas Mountain Range in Juab County, topaz and other minerals such as beryl and opal are found in relatively high abundance in the cavities of Neogene-aged rhyolites.
