NATIVE Copper - image 1
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NATIVE Copper

Unknown Owner
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Boddington mine in Boddington Shire, Western Australia is a sizable gold mine, so you might ask why is there Native Copper. Well, much of the gold is associated with oxidized copper ores, and in the early days of prospecting/mining (c. 1980s or 1990s) one of the geologists spotted a concentration of crystallized Native Copper and recovered as many specimens as possible, some of which were deposited in Australian museums. This miniature-sized specimen was acquired by David Hardman for his comprehensive worldwide collection of Native Copper and was obtained when he sold his collection. It is strangely nodular, or tuberous in its overall form, but with small crystals across all of its surfaces. The near surface oxidized zone containing Native Copper was short-lived and the vast gold mine has also long since closed, so it is now only as older collections get recycled that specimens like this become available.

Product details

SpeciesCopper
SizeMiniature
Dimensions4.1 x 2.7 x 2.0 cm
Added on01/07/2026

Known provenance

DateCollectorAcquisition price
07/2026Unknown Owner$200.00
Crystal ClassicsNot disclosed

Learn more

Copper
Mineral guide
Learn about Copper
native copper with spinel-twinned crystals and arborescences; notable from Lake Superior, Itauz, Dongchuan, Corocoro, prized for color and localities.
Regional guide
Copper from Western Australia
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