Silver

specimen number:
8911162

location:
Copper Falls mine, Keweenaw Co., Michigan, USA

description:
A beautifully crystallized cluster of native silver. The crystals are sharply formed in measuring to 1.2 cm in size. Branching aesthetically, this is complete all around and in super condition. There are no points of attachment. The specimen comes with a previous label from the Alton collection. A second label from the collection of JC Nuttall is present as well. A super specimen.

The Copper Falls Mine, established in 1845 along the northern Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, targeted hydrothermal fissure veins cutting through ancient Precambrian basalt flows and interbedded sedimentary layers. Hydrothermal fluids circulating through these fractured volcanic traps deposited native copper alongside significant quantities of native silver, particularly within structures like the Owl Creek vein. Although the commercial underground operation experienced mixed financial success over its roughly fifty-year lifespan, it yielded thousands of ounces of silver alongside stunning mineral specimens. Miners frequently recovered crystallized silver occurring as wired aggregates, delicate branching crystals, and aesthetic physical combinations with native copper known as half-breeds, cementing the district's status as a premier locality in American mineralogy.

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