If asked what the official gemstone of their state is, there’s a good chance that many residents of Oregon and Washington might respond with a blank stare. While the official state mammals are more commonly known—the Beaver for Oregon and the Olympic Marmot for Washington—the official state gemstone is a bit more obscure. Despite the obscurity of this knowledge, each of the state’s gemstones has a tale to tell in the natural history of their respective state.