Native Copper . Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan, USA. 50.6 x 40.9 x 22.1 cm (19.92 x 16.10 x 8.70 in). ...

Description

Native Copper
Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan, USA
50.6 x 40.9 x 22.1 cm (19.92 x 16.10 x 8.70 in)

Weighing in at a stunning 140 pounds and standing at over 50 centimeters (or about 1.6 feet), this massive specimen of Native Copper from Michigan is a display specimen if there ever was one: it has the right colors, the right dynamic form, and the right scientific context that makes this specimen more than a pretty face. The Copper has a beautiful brassy color, which contrasts wonderfully against the Epidote-rich matrix on which the Copper had crystallized. This Copper is incredibly bright and metallic, and the shape of the crystallization is indicative of the specimen being carefully etched out from the matrix (as the Copper of the Keweenaw often grew as seams and veins into host rock), resulting in a beautiful amorphous form with a fine texture that amplifies the strong metallic luster. This specimen comes from the Keweenaw Peninsula, which has a mining history of thousands of years, dating back to when the Native peoples of modern-day Michigan used this native metal for tools and crafts. In the collection database of John Farmer, the previous owner, this specimen is said to have been from the collection of Frederick Pough, who was considered to be one of the most important Mineralogists of the hobby, contributing invaluable research and literature, such as "A Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals" (1953), to the community.

From The John Farmer Collection.
Ex. Dr. Frederick H. Pough.

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