Post by Chertaceous on Jan 4, 2014 11:25:35 GMT -5
Sa., 01/04/14 @ approx. 11:24a.m. E.S.T. (T.U.S.O.A.)
Folks of The Rock Tumbling Hobby Community,
During 2012, then sixth-grader Royce Black adamantly spearheaded an effort to have celestine (please see >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestine_(mineral)<) named as the official state mineral for Pennsylvania. Although Pennsylvania does have an official state fossil, the Phacops rana trilobite, it is one of only five states to not have an official state mineral or an offical state rock/stone or an official state gemstone (for a listing of the 50 states with listings, including color plates, of their official state minerals, rocks/stones, and gemstones, please see >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_minerals,_rocks,_stones_and_gemstones<).
Royce's efforts were for not as the state legislature never approved the idea. The quest is not necessarily dead, though (please see >http://www.nittanymineral.org/#celestine<). The R.T.H. community is in a unique position to help re-ignite this quest, and one need not be from The Keystone State to participate. I ask that some of you contact Royce through his Facebook page and let him know of your support, and perhaps he will re-take up the mantle.
Some of you are probably familiar with the book and/or film, The Celestine Prophecy. If there are indeed truths to be gleaned from this otherwise fictional story, this may well be such a situation in which the most basic of the insights are relevant.
If Pennsylvania were to choose an official state rock/stone, the obvious choice would be anthracite (hard coal). Virtually ALL of The United States Of America's anthracite reserves are located within The Keystone State, and it is quite a substantial amount. As for candidates for an official Pennsylvania state gemstone, there are several possibilities to choose from and would require much research and consideration. For now, though, I think all the efforts should be focused on what young Mr. Royce Black spearheaded.
I sincerely thank you All for your time and any help you may provide :-) !
--Rick H.E.
Folks of The Rock Tumbling Hobby Community,
During 2012, then sixth-grader Royce Black adamantly spearheaded an effort to have celestine (please see >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestine_(mineral)<) named as the official state mineral for Pennsylvania. Although Pennsylvania does have an official state fossil, the Phacops rana trilobite, it is one of only five states to not have an official state mineral or an offical state rock/stone or an official state gemstone (for a listing of the 50 states with listings, including color plates, of their official state minerals, rocks/stones, and gemstones, please see >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_minerals,_rocks,_stones_and_gemstones<).
Royce's efforts were for not as the state legislature never approved the idea. The quest is not necessarily dead, though (please see >http://www.nittanymineral.org/#celestine<). The R.T.H. community is in a unique position to help re-ignite this quest, and one need not be from The Keystone State to participate. I ask that some of you contact Royce through his Facebook page and let him know of your support, and perhaps he will re-take up the mantle.
Some of you are probably familiar with the book and/or film, The Celestine Prophecy. If there are indeed truths to be gleaned from this otherwise fictional story, this may well be such a situation in which the most basic of the insights are relevant.
If Pennsylvania were to choose an official state rock/stone, the obvious choice would be anthracite (hard coal). Virtually ALL of The United States Of America's anthracite reserves are located within The Keystone State, and it is quite a substantial amount. As for candidates for an official Pennsylvania state gemstone, there are several possibilities to choose from and would require much research and consideration. For now, though, I think all the efforts should be focused on what young Mr. Royce Black spearheaded.
I sincerely thank you All for your time and any help you may provide :-) !
--Rick H.E.
