North Carolina State Rock, Mineral & Gem: Granite, Gold (Aurum), Emerald

North Carolina's state rock is granite, adopted in 1979. North Carolina's state mineral is gold (Aurum), adopted in 2011. North Carolina's state precious stone is emerald, adopted in 1973. North Carolina's state fossil is the fossilized teeth of the megalodon shark, adopted in 2013.

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

Granite specimen — Granite (not necessarily from North Carolina). Photo: The stone gate, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

State rock: Granite

Adopted:: 1979
Law:: G.S. 145-10

Granite is an igneous rock with a Mohs hardness of about 6–7 and a granular, sparkly luster, usually pink, gray, white or black.

How to identify granite →

Often confused with: Arkose, Diorite, Gneiss

Also an official symbol of: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Vermont, Wisconsin

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

State mineral: Gold (Aurum)

Adopted:: 2011
Law:: G.S. 145-35

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, California

Emerald specimen — Emerald (not necessarily from North Carolina). Photo: Géry PARENT, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

State precious stone: Emerald

Adopted:: 1973
Law:: G.S. 145-8

Emerald is a mineral with a Mohs hardness of 7.5–8 and a vitreous luster, usually green.

How to identify emerald →

Often confused with: Alexandrite, Diopside, Dioptase

State fossil: Fossilized teeth of the megalodon shark

Adopted:: 2013
Law:: G.S. 145-41

North Carolina state symbols FAQ

What is the state rock of North Carolina?

North Carolina's state rock is granite, adopted in 1979 (G.S. 145-10).

What is the state mineral of North Carolina?

North Carolina's state mineral is gold (Aurum), adopted in 2011 (G.S. 145-35).

What is the state precious stone of North Carolina?

North Carolina's state precious stone is emerald, adopted in 1973 (G.S. 145-8).

What is the state fossil of North Carolina?

North Carolina's state fossil is the fossilized teeth of the megalodon shark, adopted in 2013 (G.S. 145-41).

What is the state gem of North Carolina?

North Carolina's law calls emerald the official State precious stone (G.S. 145-8, 1973). It has no separate designation called state gem.

Sources

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

North Carolina General Statutes chapter 145, State symbols — North Carolina General Assembly (accessed 2026-10-24).

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

Think you could spot these from a blurry close-up?

Play today's Rocksday