Native Copper

This specimen features a mass of bright, hackly native copper formed within one of the many hydrothermal fractures of the dark amygdaloidal basalt host rock at Mamainse Point. The copper has been acid-etched from its original calcite matrix, with some calcite still remaining tucked into crevices. The overall presentation is rugged, with a strong and appealing natural aesthetic.

This piece comes from the historic Mamainse Point area along the north shore of Lake Superior, Ontario. Known since the earliest periods of North American exploration, Mamainse Point has long been a source of native copper, drawing prospectors and miners to its shores for generations. While not as prolific as the famous Keweenaw Peninsula deposits across the lake in Michigan, the area has supported several mining operations over time, including the Copper Creek and Tribag mines. Today, specimens from this locality are valued for their history and character, representing a classic Canadian copper occurrence.

Read more about the locality here on our website: https://djoyceminerals.com/copper-collecting-at-mamainse-point-ontario-canada/