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PRINTER'S NO. 1550
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1282
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY MEHAFFIE, PICKETT, ROTHMAN, MARKOSEK, MILLARD AND
MULLINS, APRIL 25, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 25, 2019
AN ACT
Designating the amethyst as the official State gemstone of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and designating celestine as
the official State mineral of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Findings and declarations.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) Pennsylvania is well known for a variety of vast
deposits of minerals, including quartz, which is mined in
this Commonwealth.
(2) Amethyst is a vibrant, purple gemstone and the most
beautiful type of quartz.
(3) Amethyst appropriately represents Pennsylvania
because it is found in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and has
a captivating beauty.
(4) Amethyst is the focal point of the crown worn by the
winner of the Miss Pennsylvania pageant.
(5) The Miss Pennsylvania crown and the amethyst
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gemstones featured in the crown have many unique connections
to Pennsylvania.
(6) The Miss Pennsylvania crown was commissioned by the
Pennsylvania Jewelers Association and handmade by
Pennsylvania resident and jeweler Jim Seitzer.
(7) The Miss Pennsylvania crown is encrusted with 92
carats of amethyst donated by jewelers throughout
Pennsylvania.
(8) The Miss Pennsylvania crown has a design which is
inspired by the keystone shape to pay homage to
Pennsylvania's nickname, "The Keystone State."
(9) Pennsylvania is nicknamed "The Keystone State"
because Pennsylvania was the middle colony of the original 13
American colonies.
(10) Accordingly, a 37-carat amethyst gemstone in the
shape of a keystone is at the center of the Miss Pennsylvania
crown.
(11) The official State plant of Pennsylvania is the
Penngift Crownvetch, commonly known as the "Purple Crown."
(12) It is fitting that Pennsylvania be represented by
the beauty of the attractive purple blooms of the "Purple
Crown" and the radiant purple amethyst gemstones of the
"Purple Crown" worn by Miss Pennsylvania.
(13) Celestine was first discovered in Bellwood, near
Frankstown, Blair County, Pennsylvania, in 1791 by Andreas
Gotthelf Schutz, a visiting naturalist from Freiberg,
Germany. In 1797, Martin Klaproth, the leading chemist in
Germany of his time, determined the chemical composition of
celestine as strontium sulfate. Abraham Gottlob Werner, a
founding father of the sciences of mineralogy and physical
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geology, offered the name and physical description in 1798.
The first crystal structure of celestine was published in
1925 by R. W. James and W. A. Wood.
(14) Celestine derives its name from Latin caelestis,
meaning "heavenly," in allusion to the beautiful sky-blue
color of the first specimen from this Commonwealth. Celestine
grows as large, clear crystals that can be faceted into gems.
With the same brilliance as topaz, celestine crystals are
lovely gemstones.
(15) Celestine has been found in Bellwood, Blair County;
East Salem, Juniata County; Lime Bluff, Lycoming County;
Meckley's Quarry, Northumberland County; Allenport,
Huntingdon County; and Faylors Middle Creek Quarry, Mifflin
County.
(16) Celestine is a major ore for strontium, whose
compounds are responsible for the bright red flames in
fireworks and road flares. Strontium salts also were employed
for refining beet sugar and, during the long period when
cathode-ray tubes dominated television technology, strontium
was added to the glass to absorb X-rays for the protection of
the viewer.
(17) Designating celestine as our State mineral will
remind the residents of Pennsylvania that our Commonwealth
boasts a rich natural history that is marked by a mineralogy
of great beauty and diversity. This act will provide a
positive experience to countless school children whose
interest in Pennsylvania history and geology will be piqued.
Section 2. Official State gemstone.
Amethyst is hereby designated as the official State gemstone
of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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Section 3. Official State mineral.
Celestine, a mineral appearing as sky-blue or white
orthorhombic crystals or in fibrous masses, is hereby selected,
designated and adopted as the official State mineral of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Section 4. Effective date.
This act shall take effect immediately.
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