On December 6, 2022 the Board passed a resolution supporting the adoption of Opal as the State Gemstone. 

Opal was discovered off the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River in Claiborne County in 2004 and is the only precious gemstone found natively in the state. 

The Board believes the adoption of a state gemstone would be a celebration of the geologic heritage of the state of Mississippi and would promote interest in the profession of geology in the state.