Native Element Metal - Copper

Most minerals occur in combinations of chemicals as compounds. However, 20 or so are ‘native elements’ that occur in small quantities by themselves in relatively pure form. Most native elements are metals such as gold, which does not readily combine with other materials. Many metals typically occur in conjunction with others in ores, but these less reactive metals are often found alone.

So let’s take copper, a warm reddish gold in color, copper is the most easily recognized of all metals. It is quite soft (a hardness of 2.5 to 3), and sometimes found pure in native form, which is why it was one of the first metals people learned to use. It is the easiest to solder and is very flexible and tough. In addition, it has a very good conductivity that is only slightly less than silver.

Copper was probably the first metal used to make weapons and objects. It’s uses included making arrow and spear tips, axes and other tools that can be traced back to the forth millennium in the Middle East. The oldest knives found, dating back 6,000 years, are made of copper. Pure copper is often found in sulphide-rich veins in warm desert areas, or in cavities in ancient lava flows. Like silver, it often grows in branching masses and tarnishes quickly. Yet the tarnish is bright green, not black like silver, and a copper deposit is often revealed by bright green stains on rocks called copper bloom. As a native element, copper is quite rare, so most of the copper used today comes from ores such as chalcopyrite.

Magical and ritual lore find that copper has been linked with the divine. During ancient Mesopotamian times, it was attributed to the Queen of Heaven as well as to the goddesses associated with the planet Venus. It has also been sacred to the Sun in Babylon as well as to the early inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest. Copper can be used effectively on all chakras but is particularly effective on the heart and root chakras as preparation for meditation. It has long been used to stimulate healing. This is said to be because of the copper’s ability to balance the body’s polarity, or the flow of the projective and receptive energies. Copper’s healing applications are boundless. In Mexico, a copper penny is placed on the navel for relief of rheumatism, arthritis, and any painful condition. A metal of Venus, copper is also known to attract love and money; old pennies minted in leap years, are often placed in the kitchen of a house to attract money to the household. Copper is said to be a lucky metal because of its past solar attributions, and so can be used in combination with any luck-bringing gemstones.

Visit our jewelry collections to find your hidden treasure of luck.

*Research from various gem-mineral-crystal-metal books.

Copper - Gemstone or Mineral

Next to silver and gold, many jewelry designs are accented in copper. While it is not an actual gemstone, what is it really? Copper is a native element that occurs in nature uncombined with other elements. The native elements form under greatly contrasting physical and chemical conditions; in a variety of rock types. So, what is copper exactly? It is a naturally occurring free metallic state, considered to be one of the first metals to be used by humans. It is a relatively soft metal, easy to solder, flex and manipulate into any form; this is why it is a popular material used by wire workers in early designs or tests before conforming the designs to silver or gold. It gets its name from the Latin aes Cyprium, meaning ‘metal of Cyprus’, shortened to cyprium and later corrupted into cuprum.

Copper is found in large quantities, usually massive aggregates, some said to weight up to several tons. When copper is well crystallized, it can be found in cubic or dodecahedral crystals in the forms of mini tree-like shapes. It can be found all over the world with most common deposits in the United States. It is usually orange or copper red in color and looks good mixed with any gemstones.

Copper’s healing power have been used since the Middle Ages to promote smooth functioning of the glands and prevent wear and tear of joints. It encourages a positive attitude and self-confidence, improve decision making and brings harmony among the members of a family.

Many of the jewelry designs created at Timeless Designs incorporate copper in some way. Visit our website to see the selection of necklaces and pendants done with copper.