Native Copper
Image: “Jonathan Zander (<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Digon3" title="User:Digon3">Digon3</a>)" (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mineral NameNative Copper
Chemical FormulaCu
Mohs Hardness2.5
Lustermetallic
Streak Colorcopper-red, shiny
Cleavagenone
Fracturehackly
Specific Gravity8.9
Colorscopper-red, brown, green
Transparencyopaque
Type LocalityKeweenaw Peninsula, Michigan, USA
Mineral GroupNative Elements
Useselectrical conductor, coinage, alloys, collector
Associated Mineralscuprite, malachite, azurite, calcite, epidote
Rarityuncommon
Description
This specimen of native copper displays a vibrant reddish-orange metallic luster with an intricate, arborescent or dendritic growth habit, featuring numerous small, rounded protuberances.
Geological Context
Native copper commonly forms in the oxidized zones of copper ore deposits, in hydrothermal veins, or as amygdule fillings within basaltic lava flows, often associated with secondary copper minerals.
