Copper

specimen number:
2062376

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

description:
A sharp crystal of native copper 1.5 cm in size embedded within matrix. In great condition.

Organized in 1854 following the discovery of native copper within an ancient indigenous mining pit, the Central Mine in Keweenaw County, Michigan, operated as one of the region's most successful and enduring fissure-deposit copper mines before permanently closing in July 1898. Geologically, the site is defined by transverse mineralized veins cutting through Precambrian basaltic lava flows and interbedded layers, most notably associated with hydrothermal activity that deposited rich masses of native copper alongside minerals like calcite and prehnite until faulting and exhausted ore bodies led to its eventual decline.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.