Datolite

specimen number:
1791268

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

description:
Attractive cut and polished datolite nodule half.

The Drexel Mine, historically associated with the Amygdaloid Mining Company operations in Keweenaw County, Michigan, was established in the mid-nineteenth century during the height of the region's copper boom. Geologically, the site is situated within the rugged Precambrian basaltic lava flows and interbedded sedimentary rocks of the Keweenaw Peninsula, which were shaped by the ancient Midcontinent Rift. Mineralogically, the deposit is famous for yielding native copper along fissure veins and associated formations, alongside accessory minerals such as native silver and datolite. Operationally, the mine experienced a volatile history marked by early exploration optimism, a devastating surface fire in 1862 that required extensive rebuilding, and fluctuating production periods before operations eventually transitioned to tributers and final closure in the late nineteenth century.

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