California State Rock, Mineral & Gem: Native gold, Serpentine, Benitoite

California's state mineral is native gold, adopted in 1965. California's state rock is serpentine, adopted in 1965. California's state gemstone is benitoite, adopted in 1985.

Symbol names and dates are taken from primary state sources linked below. Informal or proposed symbols are not listed unless adopted.

Gold specimen — Gold (not necessarily from California). Photo: Alchemist-hp (talk) www.pse-mendelejew.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons

State mineral: Native gold

Adopted:: 1965
Law:: Government Code § 425.1

Gold is a mineral (Au) with a Mohs hardness of 2.5–3 and a metallic luster, usually golden.

How to identify gold →

Often confused with: Biotite, Chalcopyrite, Native Copper

Also an official symbol of: Alaska, North Carolina

Serpentinite specimen — Serpentinite (not necessarily from California). Photo: Gabriel HM, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

State rock: Serpentine

Adopted:: 1965
Law:: Government Code § 425.2

Serpentinite is a metamorphic rock with a Mohs hardness of about 3–5 and a waxy to greasy luster, usually green or black.

How to identify serpentinite →

Often confused with: Greenschist, Kimberlite, Nephrite

Benitoite specimen — Benitoite (not necessarily from California). Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

State gemstone: Benitoite

Adopted:: 1985
Law:: Government Code § 425.3

Benitoite is a mineral (BaTiSi₃O₉) with a Mohs hardness of 6–6.5 and a vitreous luster, usually blue or white.

How to identify benitoite →

Often confused with: Neptunite, Sapphire, Tanzanite

California state symbols FAQ

What is the state mineral of California?

California's state mineral is native gold, adopted in 1965 (Government Code § 425.1).

What is the state rock of California?

California's state rock is serpentine, adopted in 1965 (Government Code § 425.2).

What is the state gemstone of California?

California's state gemstone is benitoite, adopted in 1985 (Government Code § 425.3).

Is California's state rock serpentine or serpentinite?

The law (Government Code § 425.2) says serpentine. Geologists call the rock serpentinite and use serpentine for the group of minerals it is made of, so both names refer to the same state rock.

Sources

We cite primary sources (statutes, state government pages, federal regulations, and land-manager sites). Third-party listicles are not used as citations.

California Government Code § 425.1, State mineral — California Legislature (accessed 2026-10-23).
California Government Code § 425.2, State rock — California Legislature (accessed 2026-10-23).
California Government Code § 425.3, State gemstone — California Legislature (accessed 2026-10-23).

Last verified 2026-10-24. Corrections welcome: if a statute has changed, tell us and we'll re-verify.

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