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Nobleite (author's material) - Sold


Nobleite is a hydrated calcium borate, specifically the calcium dominant analog of tunellite. The mineral name honors Levi F. Noble (1882-1965), geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, who studied the Death Valley region including its borate deposits. Erd et al. (1961) used material from this locality to describe the species.

This specimen is a friable aggregate of crystals and clay. The nobleite crystals are colorless and transparent, probably not larger than 0.5 mm, and cover much of the specimen. Underlying the nobleite are smaller crystals of colemanite, in druses possibly pseudomorphous after another species. A few small tufts of white ulexite are also present. This specimen carries a R. C. Erd collection label, who was the senior author of the description of the species.