MISSOURI STATE SYMBOLS   STATE ROCK AND LITHOLOGIC EMBLEM   Mozarkite

 

Mozarkite was adopted as the official state rock for Missouri in 1967. Mozarkite appears in a variety of colors, predominantly red, pink or purple. When the rocks are tumbled and polished, they are sometimes used for ornamental jewelry.

The rock’s name is a combination of Missouri’s state abbreviation “MO,” “Ozark,” and the suffix “ite” meaning “of or pertaining to.” It is a chert (sedimentary rock) found exclusively in Benton County, Missouri, and the surrounding area. The rocks were formed approximately 450 million years ago.

 

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Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo)

§10.045. State lithologic emblem. – The rock “Mozarkite” is the official rock and lithologic emblem of Missouri. (L. 1967 p. 93 § 1)

approved 21 July 1967
effective 28 August 1967

 

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Photo Gallery:

Click on an image below to enlarge and read a caption. This will open a new window in the Missouri State Symbols Flickr album.

 

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Additional Resources:

Hebrank, Arthur W., and Carol S. Radford. “Missouri Mines State Historic Site: Park Hills, Missouri.” Rocks & Minerals 72, no. 6 (November-December 1997): 387-392.

Stuckey, Sarah D., and Juliet E. Morrow. “Sourcing Burlington Formation Chert: Implications for Long Distance Procurement and Exchange.” The Quarry 1, no. 10 (October 2013): 20-29.

Unklesbay, A.G., and Jerry D. Vineyard. Missouri Geology: Three Billion Years of Volcanoes, Seas, Sediments, and Erosion. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 1992.

 

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