Cuprite

specimen number:
2062123

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

description:
Rich brilliant red acicular crystallized cuprite on matrix. This is the variety of the species often referred to as chalcotrichite. In good condition, really choice example for this material for the area.

The Allouez Mine, located in Keweenaw County, Michigan, was a major producer of native copper situated on the northern end of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Geologically, the mine was unique because it primarily exploited the Allouez Conglomerate, a sedimentary layer composed of volcanic pebbles where native copper filled the voids as a natural binding agent, rather than the more common amygdaloidal basalt lodes. This conglomerate was notably difficult to mine due to its extreme hardness, but it yielded high-grade copper mineralization formed during the Mesoproterozoic Era. Historically, the Allouez Mining Company was organized in 1859, with the most significant production occurring between 1869 and 1920. The mine consisted of several shafts, with the Number 1 and Number 2 shafts being the most prominent. After 1920, the property was acquired by the Calumet and Hecla Consolidated Copper Company and saw intermittent activity until final operations ceased in the mid-20th century.

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