Silver

This specimen consists of both halves of an ore nodule, sawn cleanly through the centre to reveal the intricate internal structure of the vein material displaying a network of branching native silver veinlets intricately intergrown with safflorite and other cobalt–nickel arsenides, all hosted in a dolomitic carbonate matrix. The interior surfaces gleam with bright metallic silver, while the natural exteriors retain the rugged, vein-studded texture typical of material from the Cobalt silver district.

The specimen originates from the Hargrave Mine, a rare and seldom-seen locality discovered in 1905 and operated by Hargrave Silver Mines Ltd. between 1908 and 1921. The deposit was developed by two shafts, the deepest reaching 550 feet, and produced an estimated 500,000 ounces of silver and 6,400 pounds of cobalt by 1920, with no recorded activity after 1928.

A fine, high-grade example of classic Cobalt-style silver–arsenide mineralization, this paired-nodule specimen beautifully captures both the geological complexity and historical significance of the Hargrave Mine, a lesser-known but important contributor to Ontario’s early 20th-century silver boom.