Preface
Welcome to Summer at DMS! We’ll be taking a break
from our regular series
until the Fall. Please do join us for a
Copper Picfest!
So, get ready for a look at this most common metal with this month's favorite:
Copper!
Let's
go!
Introduction
Welcome to
another annual Mineral
Picfest summer article!
We’re going ‘native’ this Summer with our Mineral Pictfests!
In June, we honored
Gold. In July
we are featured
Tellurium. August brings our short theme to a
close with Copper. Enjoy!
It's reddish metallic hue
and sheen is unmistakeable. In its native form, Copper can be easily
identified by non-rockhounds and novices. From time immemorial, Copper
crystals can be half
the age of the Earth. And, objects crafted from such metal have stood
the test of time.
Though Copper corrodes
to a greenish-blue, even the weathered surface has an appeal to
people all around the globe. It's intrinsic value increases the
more our societies find new uses for
this versatile element. It's cultural value is significant, even
as common as this material might be.
We can craft if easily
by hand or machine. Our global communication relies on Copper
for
some aspects of hard-wired technology. Most civilized nations
have this metal as part of it's
infrastructure as statues, electric wires, in karat gold
jewelry, and in transportation systems.
How about a Copper Anniversary? If you live
in Delaware, or anywhere else, you can celebrate
any 7th Anniversary with gifts of copper, such as cookware or jewelry.
Heck, you might even
want to rewire your house in copper cable to celebrate! I did.
Other traditional anniversaries have
Copper hidden in its symbolic gifts. The 8th (Bronze),
25th (silver), and 50th (Gold) include Copper as a constituent
of the celebrated alloy. In modern
times, the 5th (Silverware) and 14th (Gold Jewelry) join in the
list of cupric items.
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You probably already know that Copper is an
important metal in karat gold alloys. Yup, the karat,
abrreviated 'K', when stamped on jewelry, is the proportional
measure of Gold to other metals.in the alloy. Pure Gold is 24K;
whereas, a common alloy is 14K. 14K equals 14 parts Gold and 10
part another metal, such as Copper. So, beyond Copper's use in
pennies, it holds a place of value in our jewelry, as well. So,
enjoy Copper and the photos below.
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Native Copper
(Photo by Vin Callcut) |
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Native Copper, Arizona |
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Native Copper Crystals, Michigan
(Photo by A. E. Seaman Museum) |
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Elongated Tetrahexahedral Copper Crystals,
Michigan
(Photo by John A. Jaszczak) |
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Native Copper Crystals, Arizona
(Photo by Rob Lavinsky, wikipedia.org) |
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Native Copper Nugget
(Photo by kinderpedia.com) |
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Native Copper Crystals,
Michigan
(Photo by Isaias Casanova, IC Minerals)
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Native Copper Crystal, Michigan
(Photo by Isaias Casanova, IC Minerals) |
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Native Copper, Arizona
(Photo by Isaias Casanova, IC Minerals) |
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Native Copper Crystal Cluster, Namibia
(Photo by Isaias Casanova, IC Minerals) |
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Native Copper
(Photo by Penny Morton) |
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Native Copper, USA
(Photo by USGS) |
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Copper Nugget |
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Copper Sheet, Arizona
(Photo by Glendale Community College) |
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Native Copper, Michigan
(Photo by Ken Casey) |
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Native Copper in dolomitic siltstone
(Photo by Grant from Outback Rover Adventures) |
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Native Copper, Cuprite, Azurite, Malachite
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Cubed-Hoppered Copper Crystals
(Photo by John A. Jaszczak) |
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Complex Copper Crystals, Michigan
(Photo by John A. Jaszczak) |
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Copper Crystals, Michigan
(Photo by John A. Jaszczak) |
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Copper Crystal Assemblage, Michigan
(Photo by John A. Jaszczak) |
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Dendritic Copper, Michigan
(Photo by John A. Jaszczak) |
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Copper Nuggets |
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Copper Crystal Mimetolith
(Photo by R. V. Dietrich) |
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Native Copper
(Photo by James Madison University) |
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Octahedral Copper Crystal
(Photo by John A. Jaszczak) |
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Native Copper Ore, Michigan
(Photo by Smithsonian Institution) |
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Wire needles of Native Copper |
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Native Copper, Russia
(Photo by Goren Axelsson) |
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Display case of native copper
(Photo by the Georgia Mineral Society) |
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Complex mineral assemblage with Copper, New Jersey
(Photo by Chris's Mineral Collecting Page)
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Complex mineral assemblage with Copper
(Under SW UV light), New Jersey
(Photo by Chris's Mineral Collecting Page)
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Largest Copper Crystal in the World, Upper Peninsula,
Michigan
(Photo by Ken Charlebois) |
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Table of Copper Ore, Michigan
(Photo by the Georgia Mineral Society) |
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Mineralogy class fieldtrip to the Upper Peninsula, Michigan.
Students are collecting copper ore, fall semester 1999.
(Photo by Dr. Sarah Hanson) |
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Uses
Copper
has so many uses. From jewelry, electronics, artifacts and currency.
One of the oldest know metals to be smelted, Copper has been
useful for millenia, and still
is today. Once drawn from the earth into simple hand
tools, jewelry, and cultural icons, this
extemely 'shapeable' red metal can serve us in a number of ways.
Today, we employ Copper in chemistry, sophisticated alloys,
paints, plumbing, electricity,
electronics, and more.
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_copper
http://www.galleries.com/minerals/elements/copper/copper.htm
http://www.galleries.com/minerals/elements/copper/copper.htm
http://www.dayooper.com/NativeCopper.htm
http://www.agatelady.com/photo-gallery-mineral-of-the-month-january-2008.html
Members' Gallery
Here is where DMS Members can add their
Copper
photos to share with us.
Until Next Time
We hope you have enjoyed our all too short visit to
Copper. Please join us next month,
for another article, and we shall journey together!
Until then, stay safe, and happy collecting.
Article Contributors
I would like to gratefully acknowledge the generous contributions of
our fellow Copper
enthusiasts,
collectors, authors, curators, professionals, and club members who made this
work possible.
Thanks.
© 2010 All contributions
to this article are covered under the copyright protection of this article
and by separate and several copyright protection(s), and are to be used for the sole
purposes of
enjoying this scholarly article. They are used gratefully with express written
permission of the
authors, save for generally-accepted scholarly quotes, short in nature, deemed legal to
reference
with the appropriate citation and credit. Reproduction of this article must be
obtained by express
written permission of the author, Kenneth B. Casey, for his contributions, authoring,
photos, and
graphics. Use of all other credited materials requires permission of each
contributor separately.
Links and general contact information are included in the credits above, and throughout
this article.
The advice offered herein are only suggestions; it is the reader's charge to use the
information
contained herein responsibly. DMS is not responsible for misuse or accidents caused
from this
article. All opinions, theories, proofs, and views expressed within this article, and in
others on this
website, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Delaware Mineralogical Society.
Suggested Reading
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About
the Author:
Ken is current Webmaster and President of the Delaware
Mineralogical Society. He has a diploma in
Jewelry Repair, Fabrication & Stonesetting from the Bowman Technical School,
Lancaster, PA, and worked as jeweler.
He has
also studied geology at the University of Delaware.
And,
he is currently a member of the Delaware Mineralogical Society and the Franklin-Ogdensburg
Mineralogical Society.
E-mail:
kencasey98@yahoo.com.
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