Physical Features
1. Color- Bright Red.
2. Streak- Metallic coppery.
3. Luster- Metallic.
4. Cleavage- None.
5. Transparency- Opaque.
6. Fracture- Ductile, hackly.
7. Hardness- 2.5-3.
8. Forms- Massive.
9. Crystal System- Cubic.
Copper is one of our most vital native elements in the world. The beautiful bright reddish luster gives it a rich warm feeling. This bright, soft native mineral is usually found around igneous rock, limestone, slate, sandstone and can also be associated with the native element sulfur. Copper is mostly formed as a secondary mineral due to the other iron-bearing minerals. If the copper forms well, it will form as cubic or dodechdral crystal, which may be rare. Other forms may be in twisted veins, wirelike strings and in sheets. In todays modern world we use copper for many purposes, such as, telephones, building wire, electronics, transportation, machinery and everyday general products. The native element has been dated back 10,000 years ago. Then it was used in ancient times as a substitution for stone. They allowed it to make tin, bronze and zinc to produce brass.
The United States has many copper mines, although Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan has one of the largest production of native copper. The massive open-pit copper mine in Utah is also another major mine in the states, but the worlds largest concentration of native copper exists in Chili. I'll have to visit there one day to see the beauty of this ancient mineral.
For a bit of trivia: Did you know that policemen in the United States were nick-named "cops" or "coppers" because the buttons on their uniforms were made of copper? Pretty cool story!
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