The Rose Rock Capitol of the World

The Indian brave trudged along under the remorseless sun somewhere on the long Trail of Tears on the dusty plains of Oklahoma. He stumbled and would have fallen if not for his mother, who stretched out a hand to stop his fall. They had been walking for days with little food and hardly any rest. The young brave, little more than a boy, really, grabbed the old squaw’s hand and squeezed it in gratitude. He didn’t know how she could keep on walking. Many had fallen on the trail and many more would follow. But there was great strength in the Cherokee people and “God, looking down from heaven, decided to commemorate the courageous Cherokees. As the blood of the braves and the tears of the maidens fell to the ground, they were turned to stones in the shape of a rose”, as told by E. L. Gilmore, a Cherokee Storyteller (Gilmore 1968). (https://www.travelok.com/pages/nobleistheroserockcapitoloftheworld). Rose rocks are red and brown barite crystals and resemble a rose in full bloom with delicate-looking petals. They can be as small as your thumb or weigh several hundred pounds. These one-of-a-kind treasures are highly sought-after and collectible. It is believed that rose rocks began to form during the Permian era, which was roughly 250 million years ago. At that time the western half of Oklahoma was covered by ocean water, while central Oklahoma was covered by shallow bays (Everett, 1986). As a result, “barite had precipitated from the seawater”, which then “crystallized surrounding grains of quartz sand” (Everett, 1986). (https://www.okhistory.org/publdications/enc/entry?entry=RO030) “The barite rosette (rose rock) was named the state rock of Oklahoma ever since House Bill 1277 was approved by the Oklahoma Legislature April 8, 1968, and was signed into law” (Everett, 1986). If you are wanting to “go rose rock hunting”, as some locals say, central Oklahoma and around Norman, are known to have the highest concentration of unique stones near Noble, Oklahoma. People have reported having found rose rocks along highway 9, east of Norman, and at Lake Stanley Draper and Lake Thunderbird. Rose rocks can be discovered all along a great swath of central Oklahoma, they run in veins like diamonds and crystals, exposing themselves only by digging them up or natural land erosion. Rose rock aficionados here in Noble, Oklahoma are serious about their rose rocks and tightlipped about the location of their hunting spots. The Noble Chamber of Congress puts on a huge music festival and rose rock exhibit the first weekend in May each year, 2022 marking the 40th Annual Rose Rock Music Festival (RRMF) that runs from Friday through Sunday. For one fun-filled weekend the town of Noble, Oklahoma, population 6,985, transforms itself into an exciting, action-packed carnival with rides, games of luck or skill lining the fairway, and your favorite fair-day food vendors. You can cool your heels off in the shade of the pavilion during the heat of the day or kick your heels up and dance the night away under the starlit sky. Along with live music, the City of Noble features a parade, a car show, and a poker run. And, if you are feeling particularly brave, you can take to the Oklahoma skies and tour the town on a helicopter ride. There truly is something for the whole family to enjoy at the Rose Rock Music Festival. Over 50,000 people attend the RRMF each year to take part in the festivities. Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) graduate Sharon Schultz collects rose rocks and has been selling them at her booth for the last eight years. “My son goes rose rock hunting with me and he carries all of the really big ones for me”, said Sharon. “Rose rock hunting is a favorite pastime of ours”. (Shultz 2022). Tara Springfield, the mother of six, plans to finish pursuing her nursing degree at OCCC when her youngest starts school. Springfield had rose rock clusters that were so big she had to haul them to the festival on a flatbed trailer. Claiming that she has been hunting for rose rocks all of her life as a favorite hobby, she said, “The largest cluster of rose rocks found on record, to date, weighs 486 pounds, but I have one here that weighs close to 600 pounds, so I think we set a new record” (Springfield 2022). Whether you’re in the market to buy rose rocks or to soak up some summer excitement, the Annual Rose Rock Festival in Noble, Oklahoma is sure to be a family favorite for everyone.