Gold, Buffalo-Ankerite Mine, Timmins, Ontario

Native Copper

Burwash Creek, Yukon

Native copper occurrences have been widely used throughout prehistory. In Europe use of copper occurrences that were closely associated with tin led to the development of bronze, and the ensuing Bronze Age. In North America various First Nations groups made use of native copper for ornaments, tools, and ceremonial objects.

Native Silver

Silver Islet Mine, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Silver, like gold and copper, has been prized for thousands of years because of its malleability (the ability to be bent, shaped, or drawn out). This has made it ideal for jewellery and other ornamental uses, but also for coinage. Silver was one of the motivations for the settlement and exploration of the New World.

Pyrite

Empire Zinc Mine, Gilman, San Juan County, Colorado

The mineral collection includes native element "mimics" like pyrite. Many prospectors thought their fortunes were made only to find the mineral deposit they discovered was not gold, but pyrite. It quickly earned the nickname "fool's gold". Other "mimic" varieties include pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, and arsenopyrite.