History of the Crown: Miss Rodeo Utah

5.3 ounces of gold, 10.5 carats of Topaz, and 32.5 carats of Varasite make up the Miss Rodeo Utah crown that has been passed from titleholder to titleholder since 1982. Gena Black, Miss Rodeo Utah 1981, originally came up with the idea of an MRU crown and buckle and John Christiansen from John’s Jewelry, along with his daughter, Felicia, got to work designing the crown.

John spent more than 100 hours hand carving, manufacturing, and engraving the jewels for the crown and the Golden Spike Gem and Mineral Society cut each stone from the same rough to ensure a perfect match. First Security Bank donated the metal for the crown and Spence Eccles donated the monetary support for the crown and it’s accompanying buckle.

The crown was designed to include everything Utah is known for: the Utah State seal; flower (Sego Lily); symbol (Beehive); and stone (Topaz), mined at the Topaz Mountain in Western Utah. The Varasite stones that make up the band of the crown are exclusive to Utah.

-Miss Rodeo Utah 2020-2021 Kassadee Jones

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