Copper (Native)
Image: “Jon Zander (<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Digon3" title="User:Digon3">Digon3</a>)" (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mineral NameCopper (Native)
Chemical FormulaCu
Mohs Hardness2.5
Crystal Systemcubic
Lustermetallic
Streak Colorcopper red
Cleavagenone
Fracturehackly
Specific Gravity8.9
Colorscopper-red, brown, green
Transparencyopaque
Type LocalityKeweenaw Peninsula, Michigan, USA
Mineral GroupNative Elements
Useselectrical conductor, coinage, jewelry, sculpture, collector
Associated Mineralscuprite, malachite, azurite, calcite, epidote, silver
Rarityuncommon
Description
The image displays a macro view of a native copper specimen, approximately 4 cm in size, exhibiting a distinctive reddish-brown metallic luster and an irregular, dendritic or botryoidal growth habit.
Geological Context
Native copper typically forms in the oxidized zones of copper ore deposits, in hydrothermal veins, or as amygdaloidal fillings in basaltic lava flows, often associated with volcanic activity.
