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Elbaite steamboat
Specimen | Catalog Number | Locality | Weight |
---|---|---|---|
The Steamboat | NMNH R51 | United States, California |
- Elbaite (with quartz and albite)
- Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4
- Tourmaline King mine, San Diego County, California
- R0051
It is easy to see how this famous specimen got its nickname: "The Steamboat." Smokestacks of green-tipped, rose-pink elbaite (a tourmaline mineral) rise from a quartz hull. The specimen formed about 100 million years ago.