Tag Archives: Mohawkite

Don’s Christmas Gift on Christmas Eve

I’m a difficult person to buy a gift for. If I really need something, I generally just buy it. If I see something, I didn’t know I needed, it’s in my cart. There are very few surprises at Christmas for me or my bride, Bonnie.

If she sees a book she likes, or some clothing she wants, she’ll pont is out and say, “That might be a good gift”. We must act immediately, because we forget as soon as we leave a store. I tell Bonnie, not to look in the bag we just purchased. If we purchase these wanted gifts, long enough before Christmas, we’re perhaps good with a surprise Christmas gift, because we forget we told each other to get them.

The bail, of my Christmas gift, is elegant, yet simple.

Bonnie says; “Our big problem is if we buy gifts early, we forget where we hid them”.

When it comes to jewelry, I can usually make something that I believe Bonnie might like. Jewelry can be a surprise, most of the time. Sometimes Bonnie may unintentionally snoop, and see something she’ not supposed to. She might see something while placing a gift for me, in the same “secret” hiding spot that I have hidden a gift for her.

I occasionally find a Stone that I covet for a pendant. I make a pendant for me. I just can’t say to myself; “I better find someone that can make a pendant”, then realize I like how I make jewelry, and sometimes I get lucky and make a nice piece. I’ll take a chance on me, instead of Asian or India made, sub-par jewelry.. Like Oscar the Grouch I think: “Me can make this”.

Making Jewelry for Myself

By making my own Christmas Jewelry, I can cut out the middle man. If I hate what I made for “Me”, I do not have to return it to the store for a refund. I do not have to complain about how this Pendant looks. I do not have to “hint” to anyone as to what a great Christmas Gift this would make. I do not have to gripe about foriegn made junk, poor quality, or price. I CAN ACTUALLY WEAR MY SELF-MADE GIFT IMMEDIATELY. I do not have to worry about hiding this jewelry gift, then forgetting where it is. I do not Most of all I DON’T HAVE TO WRAP IT! NO!? I do have to wrap it, but I don’t have to GIFT wrap it.

Let’s combine these and see what happens

Most Guys Hate to Wrap Gifts

I know that a lot of guys (most guys) hate to wrap gifts. When a guy orders jewelry from us, it’s our practice to include a nice little draw-string gift bag with ordered jewelry in it.. This saves our “guy” customers from wrapping said jewelry. Just “stuff it in a stocking” makes most guys happy, happy, happy.

If I make a Christmas gift for myself, there are so many benefits, it’s magical.

My self-made, custom made Christmas gift is a pendant I dreamt of. I awakened at 2am, and got started on my gift. By tackling my own surprise gift; getting it started, and placing it on my workbench, I will not forget to finish said gift, or remember who’s gift I was making.

Let’s see the jewelry Don

Copper Fire Brick tops a Snowflake Mohawkite. Both are sealed with two-part Epoxy. The Firebrick is sealed to prevent future tarnishing, and the Mohawkite is sealed as an overabundance or caution (it contains Arsenides, but is perfectly safe if sealed).
***This just might be my favorite Christmas Gift!***

These two Copper Country beauties were cut into designer shapes, and put together. You can clearly see this pendant is fairly large (by the walking Liberty Half Dollar). The size is perfect for me.

I carefully wrapped this pendant in Pink Gold and Agentium Sterling. The belt is 24g Pink Gold (Rose Gold) half round. The belt wraps completely around, covering the break between the stones, and locking both stones together. The stones would have remained together without the belt, but this pendant just looks so much cooler with the belt.

The back of my Santa-created pendant has A locking, and tightening buckle, that secures everything in place. I designed the one-of-a-kind locking buckle, so it lays flat and will not catch on any sweater or other clothing..

This year I have produced quite a few custom pieces, made from customers’ Stones. We’ve filled stockings with beautiful jewelry, and already have gotten glowing reviews for our service and products. I enjoy making nostalgic jewelry for clients, from their treasured stones.

I’ve been backlogged for a while, but finally have finished my custom projects. I know I’ve made many people happy, and that makes me happy. Now I’ve made “ME’ really happy, with a new Santa Made Pendant..

Enjoy the Holidays!

Mohawkite, Domeykite, and Algodonite

As I look at these names, I think what an unfriendly sounding bunch of names. I make natural stone jewelry out of this? How about calling it Silver Bullet or Shining Golden Bridal Stone? Instead this mineral has a name that reminds me of a donkey.

Gold Ore or Mohawkite? A real fooler.

Mohawkite was/is one of many local names for a copper ore comprised of Copper and Arsenide. The two primary Copper Arsenides in the Copper Country are Algodonite (Cu6As) and Domeykite (Cu3As). Between 1900 and 1901, 105 metric tons of Mohawkite were taken from the Mohawk Mine. Enormous masses of Algodonite also came out of the Ahmeek Mines. This area is on the north end of the Kearsarge Lode.

A silvery slab of Mohawkite. Siver coloration in probably due to high Nickel content.

I have sort of a love-hate relationship with any of these Arsenides. Allow me to explain my love-hate relationship with Mohawkite. Mohawkite is a local name for a mixture of Algodonite and Arsenian Copper found in the Mohawk and Ahmeek area Copper Mines. This material has been called many names in the past, and even today we hear solid pieces of Mohawkite called “Butchite”, another example of a local moniker.

Iridescent Mohawkite. The picture does not do this justice with it's metallic reds and Cobalt Blues.

While I love all the Keweenaw Mining District stones, like Greenstone, Datolite, and Prehnite, I dislike working with Mohawkite or any other Copper Arsenide. After cutting Mohawkite I seal the material using a lenghthy procedure I’ve developed over the years. After any Mohawkite cabochon is sealed it becomes perfectly safe in normal use.

What I do love about these Copper Arsenides is they are absolutely gorgeous. When this arsenide is intermixed with white Quartz, the effect is amazing. It makes beautiful jewelry, and has this ability to be, and look, like several other things. For example, it’s a real fooler when the golden Mohawkite couples with the white Quartz. You would swear it is Gold Ore from California. Customers love the jewelry I make from Mohawkite, and because it is found nowhere else on earth, it is another keepsake from the Copper Country that is totally unique. I suspect that the amount of Nickel, Cobalt, or other trace minerals in the Mohawkite causes some of this stone to remain stable in color, while others change to gold. The Arsenides are the cause of the iridescent phenomenon. I have found that in stones that contain a high level of Arsenides, the color change is almost instantaneous.

By sealing the stone, any potential toxicity is eliminated. The possibility of the stone tarnishing is prevented by my sealing process also. I think of Mohawkite as a Chamelion of sorts. When I get a cabochon shaped, I never know how it will react to oxygen. I cut some today that became iridescent within 5 minutes. I wanted a golden color so I went back and re-ground off the rainbow. The metal was silver in color when it came off the grinder. I put the cabs in water, and rushed them to my sealing area. I rapidly removed them from water, dried them. When I wiped them dry, they immediately changed to a golden color. I sealed them in time to inhibit them from changing to iredescent colors. I did leave several cabs to for a few minutes and sealed them when they rainbowed.

You see very few people making jewelry from Mohawkite, but I love the unusual look of it, and we sell many pieces of it. After my sealing process, the stone is perfectly docile and safe to wear.

My Mohawkite jewelry is popular at Copper World in Calumet, Michigan, I also sell this material on line. Mohawkite is challenging to find anymore, but occasionally I stumble over a good piece while exploring the piles. Remember that these Mohawkite mines are all on private property and should not be hunted without permission.

We specialize in jewelry made from rocks and minerals of Michigan, and Mohawkite is one I love to hate. You on the other hand will love it, especially when you get all those complements.

Mohawkite

Originally named after the primary source at the Mohawk Mines (copper mines) in Mohawk, Michigan, Mohawkite is a rock that closely resembles fine gold in quartz from California.

Algodonite and domeykite are the two principal arsenides found in the Keewenaw. These two minerals when mixed with arsenian copper form Mohawkite. Mohawkite is one of them many historical names for this mixture. The Mohawk #2 as well as mines at Ahmeek were the primary source for this rock. A little know factoid is that over 100 metric tons of Mohawite were removed from the Mohawk mine between 1900 and 1901. The Mohawkite was massive in nature. p9130106

I have hunted Mohawkite on organized trips in the Keweenaw. I believe the Mohawk spoil piles are private property so make sure permission is gained before going on these piles. Mohawkite is elusive and requires some luck and a good metal detector to find.

I always treat Mohawkite with respect when working with it, always using gloves and a mask when grinding and polishing. I also change the water on the Genie and any saws I use after finishing with Mohawkite.

After the Mohawkite cabochon is polished, it is fairly docile (unless you plan to eat it!). I have been experimenting with coating the cabochon with industrial epoxy. This seals the metals against tarnish, but having said this, some people like the tarnished-natural look and prefer a natural, polished stone.

Mohawkite is an unusual and obscure jewelry material, and one of those special rocks to be found only in my favorite rock hunting location, the Keweenaw Peninsula.

I sell Mohawkite jewelry both on this website and at our art shows.