Calcite with Copper inclusions
Unknown Owner
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Copper-included calcites are a highly prized habit for any die-hard copper collector, but also unique on a worldwide basis and desirable for any collector who wants the rarest combinations that nature produces. Superb examples such as this one are instantly recognizable as Michigan classics, the kind of thing we see in the Smithsonian or Seaman museums with labels from the mid to late 1800s from the mine captains and major families of Copper Country history. For whatever reason, most of these copper-included calcites are found mostly as single crystals, not robust clusters of multiple sharp calcites, like this piece (in many cases, it was easier for miners to pry off and carry out the beautiful singles in their lunch boxes, and so they did....it is a miles-long hike down the mine to the working faces, and quite some effort to bring specimens out). Large matrix specimens are rare, indeed generally only seen in museums today. The main crystal reaches 5cm, and interestingly, these included crystals allow us to see how rich and bright copper can be when it isn't exposed to the elements where it can age and form a darker patina. The calcite crystals are nestled among a bed of small, sharp copper formations with traces of what is likely to be green pumpellyite and epidote. It is a beautiful specimen, with bright crystals, and a historical significance. George Elling collection. A requested feature in the 2022 "What's New in Minerals" article in The Mineralogical Record.
Product details
Known provenance
| Date | Collector | Acquisition price |
|---|---|---|
| 06/2025 | Unknown Owner | Not disclosed |
| — | The Arkenstone | Not disclosed |
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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
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