e-ReferenceDesk's College and 50 State Learning Resource Guide

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State Symbols

The official state symbols represent the cultural heritage and natural treasures of each state or the entire United States

Colorado Symbols

Colorado Symbols

Air and Space Museum, Animal, Bird, Fish, Flag, Flower, Folk Dance, Fossil, Gemstone, Grass, Insect, Mineral, Motto, Nicknames, Rock, Seal, Song, Tartan, Tree

Colorado State Rock

Yule Marble

(Marble)

Adopted on March 9, 2004.

In 2004, Girl Scout Troop 357 of Lakewood petitioned the Legislature to have the Yule Marble designated as the Colorado State Rock. Governor Owens subsequently signed HB04-1023 into law on March 9, 2004. This white marble is comprised of almost pure calcite grains tightly joined to give it a luminous quality. A marble deposit was reported in 1882 in Gunnison County on Yule Creek although a producing quarry did not begin operations there until 1906. The outstanding quality of the Yule Marble made it the choice for use in the basement of the Colorado Capitol as well as numerous national monuments in the United States including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Fact Sheet on Yule Marble from Girl Scout Troop 357

Colorado is the Centennial State

Colorado has a red Official State Mineral, rhodochrosite

Colorado has a blue Official State Gemstone, aquamarine

If the state rock were white, the Official Geological symbols would be red, white and blue.

The Yule Marble is white.

The Yule Marble has been used in many famous buildings and sculptures.

The Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.
In the Washington Monument, each state contributed a 20" x 40" rock to line the inside of the monument, and Colorado chose the Yule Marble.
The Tomb of the Unknowns, currently being renovated, is made of the largest
single block of marble produced in the United States.
Colorado State Capitol building.
Cheesman Memorial, Denver.
Colorado State Museum, Denver.
Denver Court House.

-As the state known for the majestic Rocky Mountains, it seems odd that the state does not yet have an official state rock.

-Only 9 states have 3 geological symbols (rock, gem and mineral), and none of them have the color combination of red, white and blue.

-Only 4 states have a state rock that matches the rock in the Washington Monument for that state.

-The Yule Marble is a strong, beautiful rock.

-It is composed of 99.5% pure calcite

-The grain size yields brilliant cleavage sparkles in the unpolished stone.

-It has lasted almost 100 years in the humid environment of DC.

-The first major use of the Yule Marble was in the Colorado State Capitol building, in 1895.

State Symbols

State symbols represent things that are special to a particular state.

symbol \ˈsim-bəl\
noun

Etymology:
in sense 1, from Late Latin symbolum, from Late Greek symbolon, from Greek, token, sign; in other senses from Latin symbolum token, sign, symbol, from Greek symbolon, literally, token of identity verified by comparing its other half, from symballein to throw together, compare, from syn- + ballein to throw — more at devil
Date: 15th century

1: Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible.