Miss Colorado Legacy

Colorado is one of only three states in the Miss America Organization with its own unique state crown. The Miss Colorado Crown is a special piece of Miss Colorado history. It was created in 1973 by jeweler Leonard Molberg of Molberg’s House of Jewelry. Designed to reflect the beauty and natural resources of our state, it sparkles with 613 stones set in 14 karat gold. The points of the crown represent Colorado’s white-capped mountain peaks – sparkling with white zircon gems. Ribbons of light and dark blue sapphires run across the peaks and Columbines with amethyst petals sparkle with a total of 21 diamonds set in the center of the flowers. Aspen leaves wrap around the crown and citrine shocks of wheat along the base of the crown represent Colorado’s vast plains. More than 400 man hours went into creating the crown. Diamonds, zircon, sapphires, rubies, amethyst, elbaite, peridot, topaz, citrine and garnet come together to create this priceless masterpiece. The first Miss Colorado to wear the crown was Rebecca King in 1973, who went on to be crowned Miss America 1974. The crown now belongs to the Colorado School of Mines and is on permanent display at the Mines Museum of Earth Science. The outgoing Miss Colorado wears this crown while crowning her successor in the official Miss America crown.