Butchite Decorator

Michigan Native Copper The term “Butchite” is a Michigan local term that is given to a piece of Float Copper after it has been polished and sealed to prevent further corrosion. Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula is the most important locality in the world for pure native copper. Mining began in 1845 and continued until 1968 and over 5 million tons of refined copper were recovered from Michigan's copper mines. In the early 1900's it led the world in copper production and "Lake Copper" was the purity standard to which other refined copper was compared. Long before the mining operations of the past century began in the Keweenaw, pre-historic peoples mined copper from the mineral rich veins.   All minerals, gems, stones and fossils are guaranteed to be top quality; sourced from ethical vendors around the world.