Rose Rock Story

The A-OK Rose Rock Alpaca Show

What’s in a name…?

A-OK Rose Rock Alpaca Show Logo

The Rose Rock Story: The barite rosette, which is more commonly known as a “rose rock” is the official state rock of Oklahoma. It became so on April 8, 1968 when Oklahoma House Bill 1277 was approved by the Oklahoma legislature and then signed into law by Gov. Dewey F. Bartlett.

It is interesting to know that Noble Oklahoma, which neighbors Norman, Oklahoma to the southeast, was made the official rose rock capital of Oklahoma—and by default, the world—via another act of the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1983.

Rose rocks are most notably found in central Oklahoma, although barite deposits can also be found in the Ouachita mountains near Arkansas and Wichita mountains which are in southwest Oklahoma. These beautiful rosettes also occur in Kansas, California, and Egypt.

Rose rocks are an aggregate of barite with sand. They appear in nature resembling a fully bloomed rose, with as few as five and up to twenty radiating blades or plates that appear as the petals of a rose.

The Timberlake Rose Rock Museum which was once established at Noble, Oklahoma in 1986, showcased original art work that included rose rocks. That museum ceased business in 2019 with it contents having been liquidated. A Rose Rock Music Festival continues to be held annually in the month of May in Noble, Oklahoma.

The Rose Rock Story and A-OK…

With all this in mind, Alpacas of Oklahoma sought to find something that was uniquely Oklahoma for which to name our new 2022 inaugural Alpaca show. Our new show’s name fulfills a wish to celebrate the natural beauty of both Alpacas and Rose Rocks, both of which are remarkable creations without peer.

Now you’re more fully versed in the Rose Rock Story!


There are a number of additional sources about rose rocks on the web. A-OK provides the following link for your further study. https://www.ou.edu/ogs/generalinterest/rose_rocks

The Ethical Promotion of All Things Alpaca…

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