Mississippi opal gains status as state symbol under new law

Mississippi has a colorful new symbol.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed a bill Friday to designate the Mississippi Opal as the state gemstone.

“The green Mississippi Opal is as beautiful as our state and it will be an excellent representation of our unique geological history,” Reeves said in a statement.

The opal was formed by volcanic ash and is the only naturally occurring gemstone in the state. Workers for the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality discovered examples of the opal in 2004 during geological mapping efforts of the Catahoula Formation in Claiborne County.

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The Mississippi opal has gained status as the state’s symbol under a new law passed unanimously.

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The opal legislation, Senate Bill 2138 became law immediately when Reeves signed it. The measure received unanimous support in the House and Senate.

Mississippi has several other symbols, including the American alligator as the state reptile, the Teddy Bear as the state toy and milk as the state beverage.

House Bill 1027, awaiting the governor’s consideration, would designate the blueberry as the state fruit.