I’m making a ring using what I thought was a silver nugget (set like
a stone). It now appears to be a nugget consisting of half silver and
half what seems to be copper. Does this happen often, two metals being
found together like this?
Janet Kofoed
Your nugget of combined silver and copper is most likely what is
popularly called a “half breed” Some of these specimens occurred in
very large sizes. They were typically found during the mining of the
Keewanai Peninsula copper deposits of Lake Michigan. I once had one
which weighed about two pounds and was worth fifteen hundred dollars
! Unfortunately, because of their value, many have been assembled and
/or “manufactured” Ron at Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA.