Tag Archives: Copper

Tucson Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Shows-2014-A Silver Lining

Found in someones' discards.

We were not going to venture out today to the Tucson Rock and Gem Shows. There are shows closing down and the Main Event starts tomorrow. We plan on being in line when the main show opens in the morning.

I went out to The Rock Show and searched through my favorite random rock pile. The vendor that has the pile replenishes it daily. This is my third run at this rock-filled bin.

Silver Slabs in the tub. A surprise find.

Wire Silver-WOW! I wish I owned this.

These are now mine. I should be able to make great jewelry from these.

I saw some very fine Silver Ore the other day at this show. The ore came from the famous Bulldog Silver Mine in Creede, Colorado. The Mine is located on a ridge just west of Creede called Bulldog Mountain. A very interesting history is found at the Mining History Association. The mine was closed in 1985 due to depressed silver prices, but is in pre-development by Hecla Mining Company. There is lots of silver left in “them thar” hills. The name Hecla in familiar to everyone, like myself, that hunts in Michigan’s Keewenaw Peninsula. (We go there to collect Greenstone, Datolite, Prehnite, Mohawkite and many other jewelry-making minerals in that area, left after the copper miners left.) Calumet and Hecla mined Native Copper in The Upper Peninsula for many years, beginning in the 1880’s.

The Silver in Quartz from Creede resembles some of the silver that came out of Michigan’s Copper Country. I was shown a beautiful piece of Wire Silver from Creede that reminded me of the famous wire Silver from Kongberg, Norway. A great specimen indeed.

I was pleased to purchase these Native Silver slabs. I saw them the other day and they have been haunting me. Besides quartz and silver they also have barite, acanthite, and should make some wonderful jewelry.

Resting up for tomorrow…

Bead Day

Sunny 67

Bead Show inside.

The time before the shows opened at 10am was spent packing up several flat rate boxes to send back home. We went to find a post office and found we could not get to the post office as all the streets were closed due to construction on a trolley. It will help people get around better at some future time, but was a nuisance today. After a dead end or two we found a second Post office and we found that the Flat Rate had gone up.

Something unexpected at a bead show.

Quality Blue Lace

Anyone know what this Jasper is?

Unknown Jasp/Agate

The show choices today were based on three things, 1. Beads; 2. Chains; and 3. Beads.

We drove out to the Gem Mall and parked. The main shows provide shuttle service between them. We decided to go to the Doubletree Hotel for a show called “To Bead True Blue”. There were a couple vendors that Bonnie wanted to see, so I just followed along like a good husband. I was surprised once that a vendor from China had a couple of Blue Lace Pendant beads made from old material that you just can’t find anymore. I found one Jasper I can’t identify, but thought it is colorful and attractive. So while Bonnie was learning about filling bezels with resin clay I shopped for a few stones for her.

We concentrated on findings and other related items. We looked at a new product called Glinter, which sparkles like silver, but features zinc as a main product instead of silver. Combined with silver and copper it is lead, nickel and cadmium free and non-allergenic. So we found some copper and silver beads that we look forward to using in our Lake Superior stone jewelry.

Bonnie found a new pair of pliers she is excited about, and what could I say, I just bought a couple pliers myself. We replenished our supply of silver and rose gold chains so that everyone can have a handsome chain to set off the wire-wrapped pendants featured at Snob Appeal Jewelry.

Even though we spent the afternoon at a Bead Show, we did not buy beads! We went to learn about some new techniques and products rather than beads. Truthfully, Bonnie already has purchased more beads than she can handle in a year (and yes she knows it, I’m not just talking behind her back), so she only bought 4 strands of beads all day. Very restrained! They were very pretty Lapis, and cool-looking Blue Lace Agate nuggets that she just could not resist. And I did not buy a single slab or rock chunk all day. Sigh.

Where's the shuttle? All of us finally took a cab and shared the cost.

Better luck another day!

Firebrick & Greenstone Pendant

I have a most creative customer (Nelson) who is always thinking outside the box when it comes to jewelry design. His latest concept was a Upper Peninsula representative pendant with an Isle Royale Greenstone placed approximately where Isle Royale is located. Nelson was given the honor of naming this pendant which he called “Yooperland”, so for here on out they will be Yooperland Pendants.

After some thought Nelson decided on a U.P. cut from firebrick. Firebrick has been talked about in my blog before but let’s review: When the copper smelters were build in copper country, they were made of brick. Over the years as copper was smelted, the copper vapors and solids permeated into the brick and replaced everything except the silica materials. After the mines were closed the ovens and stacks were either taken down or fell down. Enterprising individuals then took away some of this heavy material and used it in lapidary projects. Today fire brick is quite scarce, but there are still stashes around. Since firebrick has such a great story of the Copper Country, it makes wonderful conversational jewelry.

This "yooper special" is a wonderful design.

This "Yooperland" is a wonderful design.

I usually coat my firebrick jewelry with a two-part epoxy resin to prevent it from tarnishing. This will keep the “Yooper land” pendant shining with a coppery look.

I used a 30X40mm Blue Lace Agate cabochon as the base for this project. After cutting out the firebrick and prepping it, I polished a wonderful Greenstone. Both of those stones were glued to the Blue lace so it appears as if everything is floating in Lake Superior.

The wire wrapping in gold and silver is quite elegant as befitting Nelson’s Queen. I added additional height to the perimeter to protect the firebrick and the greenstone. I expect Nelson’s wife will have a wonderful birthday gift. She loves U.P. themed jewelry.

I expect to make several more of these before spring. I believe these pendants will be one of our most popular, especially for our U.P. shows.

Nelson wrote me after giving his wife her Yooperland: The YOOPER LAND pendant is OUTSTANDING! I gave it to my wife for her birthday and she loves it. However there is a small issue that I must deal with when we go out in public. Nearly everyone comments on her necklace- BUT the rest of the people just stare. Sometimes I get a little jealous . MAYBE the solution would be a turtle neck shirt!

By the way my wife says “THANKS”

Copper Shoots–an Amazing Greenstone

Check out the copper in this one!

A most fascinating Greenstone crossed my workbench this week. When you cut a piece of chlorastrolite, you expect to see green, or dark green. To see the shine of copper throughout, and feel the resistance of tough metal when cutting, you know you have a most unusual Greenstone. Normally when copper appears in a Greenstone, it is a spot, or a small part of the stone. This has copper from bottom to top! The Chlorastrolite on this one does not exibit the classic alligator skin pattern generally expected on a grade “A” Greenstone, but this has a shiny character highly regarded by folks who appreciate a most distinctive gemstone. The Copper Country does not often offer up a stone this large, with so much Copper! We have many Michigan Greenstone cabuchons for sale as well as Michigan Greenstone pendants, but as you look them over, you can see this is one-of-a-kind.

Due to the approximately 50% copper content and it’s large size ( 7 gram weight), this Greenstone pendant is showy and unusual.

Click here to see our available Greenstone pendants.

DATOLITE-On the Workbench

Two unbelievably beautiful Datolite/Copper Pendants

Datolite in Michigan occurs only in the copper deposits in the Keweenaw Peninsula as well as on Isle Royale National Park. Datolite was never a valuable mineral when copper was king, and was left in the spoil piles at the mines. Today alert rockhounds are still actively seeking Datolite in the mine dumps.

Occasionally we find wonderful Datolite/Copper combinations. These unbelievably beautiful specimens make elegant and amazing pieces of jewelry. Copper World, our retail outlet in Calumet sells every one of these pendants they acquire from me. Sometimes these rare beauties reach my website. If you see these appear on this site, you should buy them immediately. These combination cabochons are quite scarce and warrant your attention. Small specks of copper are common within the Keweenaw Datolite and the colorations of Datolite is most often caused by copper, usually too small to see with the naked eye. This is where the wonderful pinks and reds of Datolite come from. The truly spectacular Datolite has large veins of copper in the Datolite and occurs most often in the veins seen in the leftover rock piles. This Datolite/Copper sets off our metal detectors and is a real thrill when found.

Each mine in the Keweenaw has a fairly distinctive color of Datolite associated with it. White is the most common and natural color for Datolite and has been found in all the mine spoil piles in the Keweenaw. The rare yellow datolite has no copper in it and derives its’ coloration from Manganese.

Datolite with a large amount of copper are difficult to cut and polish as we are dealing with different hardnesses as well as metal in combination with the datolite. The copper-included Datolite is also prone to overheating while being cut. When you buy one of these Datolite/Copper pendants you can be sure it was a challenge to cut and polish.

If you want something rare and beautiful from Michigan, you can’t go wrong with a Datolite of any kind, but especially these riveting Datolites with large copper inclusions.

Native Elements

The Keweenaw Peninsula is known as a source of native copper. A question I sometimes get is “What do you mean when you say NATIVE copper?”

p7260103 Simply stated, the copper (mineral) is in its natural state and is not combined with any other minerals. A few elements can be found in their native state, but the only ones that are commonly encountered are Gold, Silver, Copper, Graphite, Diamond, and Sulfur.

Most of the native copper in the Keweenaw Peninsula does have a dash of silver in it, which made it more conductive, and therefore coveted by the burgeoning electrical companies back at the turn of the century. Native copper also requires very little refining. The copper mined in northern Michigan was just run through a stamp mill where the copper ore was smashed and the rock surrounding it was pulverized off. The copper then went directly to the smelters without any further processing.

The metals listed above are true metals, but I also see semi-metals in the U.P., such as Arsenic that combines with silver and copper to form Mohawkite. Mohawkite is an attractive find on some of the mine dumps, but care must be taken in handling and working with it due to the arsenic content. Mohawkite does make beautiful cabs that look like gold. The cabs will tarnish with time but can be re-polished with care and they make really distinctive jewelry. Lately I have been coating the Mohawkite cabochons with industrial epoxy. This prevents air from reaching the metals and thereby inhibits oxidation. (See also my post on Mohawkite of 9-14-09) Sometimes a treatment enhances a certain stone, making it a much better jewelry stone. This is what happens when Mohawkite is coated with epoxy. Some of my customers like the natural oxidation that is common with Mohawkite. I like the golden, shiny look of the coated stones. You can make your own selection.

We generally have many similar gemstones, other than those posted on this website. I am always willing to take a few photos of alternative pendants and send them to you. By the way, I love a challenge. What non-traditional gemstone pendant are you looking for?

Bonnie’s Great Datolite

My wife Bonnie has been tagging along half-heartedly with me to Keweenaw Week for several years. She likes wearing my jewelry, but just never has found anything that got her really excited and proud. It always seemed like a lot of rock to look through, with most of it turning out to be nothing good. Those copper tailing piles are really big, and looking for the “good stuff” is a lot like looking for a needle in a haystack. And I hate her dragging non-jewelry grade stuff home and mixing it up in my barn with all my real treasures. (That barn is a whole other story. One that may never be told.)

Datolite is an elusive gemstone. We went to a mine that we’ve been to many times, hoping to find some good datolite. Of course for Bonnie this would be her first datolite, and she really had some low expectations. She’s spent hours digging holes that never gave up anything to take home. We have friends who seem to be able to just smell them and go right to them, and bring home a great story to brag about. Bonnie just wanted to find ONE. We chose to dig under some trees, figuring whatever was there hadn’t been seen in a long time. As the dig progressed Bonnie got dirtier and dirtier. That was the main thing I noticed. She made a pretty big hole, and pulled out a large chunk of rock that had two small (4-5mm) rounded white spots sticking out of one side. Now that’s the magic formula: rounded and white, so Bonnie put it in her bucket. It did register on the metal detector, so that was good too. But really, it didn’t look like much (those two small white spots are way too small for me to make jewelry with, that’s how I judge rocks).

Bonnie found one other datolite, not huge, but big enough to make jewelry from, so she was pleased with that. I got some cutting material, rock with copper running through it that should turn out pretty. We went home not too excited and I took a nap. Bonnie went to a faucet outside and began to scrub away some dirt from her rock with “twin towers” as she referred to them. The more she scrubbed, the more excited she became. A strip of white datolite began to show up on the bottom, other white rounded areas and some small copper points were poking out. p8120186

She continued to scrub off mud, finding more white nodules and got really excited. I wanted to see what the copper would really look like, so I gave it a quick acid bath. See for yourself. Bonnie’s “boring” datolite find, her very first, turned out to be a beauty that any rockhound would be ecstatic to find! This is part of the charm that keeps rockhounds coming back to the Keweenaw year after year. I expect she’ll be more excited about our rockhunts in the future. Copper and datolite nodules combined in one terrific stone clump. What could be better?

p81901093

Native Copper

The largest and greatest deposits of native copper ever discovered occur in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. These copper deposits have been exploited since prehistoric Native Americans used hand tools made of rocks to chisel out the almost pure copper from exposed surface areas.

Native copper is very rare throughout the world. Copper deposits are not ordinarily comprised of large masses of almost pure copper. The copper from the Keweenaw is most often “polluted” with silver, making it even more conducive to electrical uses. copper

The habits of copper growth are too numerous to list, but one of the most coveted by Keweenaw-area collectors are silver and copper combinations known as “half-breeds”. Beautiful crystal copper formations are also sought, as are copper-included minerals such as Datolite, Prehnite, and Greenstone.

The history of the Copper Country is interesting to study and many wonderful books have been written on the subject.

We sell native copper, both cleaned and raw, as well as special pieces like the aforementioned half-breeds. We also have raw chunks of copper that have been through the hammer mills and most likely carried off by miners in their lunch pails. Another interesting throwback to the copper days is Firebrick, almost impossible to find now. Bricks lined the smelter walls and over time became permeated with molten copper. After the mines closed, some of this material was rescued when the smelters were closed, back in the 1960’s.

Currently no producing mines are left open in the Keweenaw, the tunnels are flooded, and the discard piles are gradually being crushed for road gravel. I have seen collecting opportunities in the Keweenaw declining rapidly over the past 20 years as old mine discard piles disappear, and collecting areas revert to private property. Much of the gemstone material I used to collect is now impossible to obtain in the field. Now is the best time to invest in jewelry and specimens from the Copper Country while the prices are still affordable.

A few mines are still open for tours: the Delaware Mine between Calumet and Copper Harbor, the Adventure Mine near Ontonagon, and the Caledonia Mine, also near Ontonagon. The Caledonia Mine offers collecting opportunities both underground and on the surface by appointment. Specimen collecting is still underway by the owner of the Caledonia, Rich Whiteman and his crew.

We offer the very best jewelry manufactured from rare copper country gemstones. Many of the materials we use are purchased from collectors in the area or found by us in our rockhounding forays to the area each year. Our beaded bracelets combine many U.P. stones including agates, epidote, and kona dolomite as well as the copper-related stones. Our Datolites sometimes have great bits of copper in them–Copper Datolite with Epidote, and Datolite, Copper Lightning. We use only the finest quality rough materials to create our finished products, and truly believe our U.P. jewelry line is the finest anywhere.