Algodonite with Domeykite

specimen number:
2133260

location:
Mohawk Mine, Keweenaw Co., Michigan, USA

description:
A bright solid nugget of what is normally called mohawkite, this a mixture of algodonite and domeykite. Classic material for this locality.

Mohawkite is a rare, complex mineral mixture primarily composed of various copper arsenides, including algodonite, domeykite, and arsenic-rich copper, often containing significant amounts of nickel and cobalt. Geologically, it is found almost exclusively in the Mohawk Mine and surrounding areas of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan, where it occurs within hydrothermal veins cutting through the native copper-bearing amygdaloidal basalts and conglomerates of the Mesoproterozoic Keweenawan Supergroup. It is characterized by its metallic luster and a color that ranges from tin-white to a distinctive brassy-bronze, which often develops a colorful iridescent tarnish upon exposure to air. Historically, mohawkite was discovered in the late 19th century and was briefly mined as an ore of copper and arsenic, but it is now mostly prized by collectors and lapidaries who cut and polish the material to reveal its striking metallic patterns. While not a single mineral species in the strictest sense, the name persists in the mineralogical community to describe this unique, localized mineral assemblage.

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