Petrified palmwood and blue topaz are the state rock and gemstone of Texas, respectively, despite not being found throughout the state. Petrified palmwood is formed from mineralized palm trees that lived in a swampy area during the Cretaceous period. Texas blue topaz is found in the center of the state and is made up of aluminum, fluorine, and silicate.
While not a true stone, petrified palmwood was adopted as the state rock of Texas in 1969. That same year, blue topaz was named the state gemstone. Neither of these stones are found throughout the state, although both are noted for their beauty and are often cut and polished to be worn as jewelry.
Petrified palmwood is the state rock of Texas and Louisiana. These two states share a border and it is in this area that most of Texas’ petrified palm wood is found. In the Cretaceous period, about 100 million years ago, East Texas was part of a large swamp, bordering a large sea. This lush tropical landscape was home to many palm trees, although the palm species found in Cretaceous Texas are now extinct.
To turn a palm tree into Texas state rock, the palm trees had died and been covered in mud and clay before the living tissue in the trees rotted away. Under the right conditions, palm wood would mineralize, turning from plant cells into petrified, fossil palm wood. After millions of years, the wood of the palm was no longer wood but the compound of silica, or silicon dioxide.
Texas state rock is almost as hard as glass, albeit a little tougher, and is often polished and cut for use as jewelry or decorative pieces. Although all of the original components of living palm wood are gone, petrified palm wood looks like a slice of living wood, and the long fibers that helped keep the tree upright can still be seen in the fossil. Depending on how it’s cut, these fibers can appear as dots, streaks, or cones.
In addition to the Texas State Rock, there is a Texas State Gemstone. Texas blue topaz, or simply blue topaz, is found near the center of the state, especially in the area around Mason County. It has a light blue color, although an artificially produced blue topaz can appear as a deep blue.
Structurally, there is no difference between blue topaz and any other color variation of this stone. It is found all over the world and is made up of aluminum, fluorine and silicate, which combine in a predictable crystalline structure. In Texas, both blue and clear topaz can be found, although blue is considerably rarer, with deeper blues being extremely difficult to find.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
