Copper, chemical symbol Cu, is a shiny, red-orange metal that has a wide range of applications. The price of copper is primarily driven by the availability of substitutes, the global supply. Copper is found in various foods, including organ meats (especially liver), seafood, beans, nuts, and whole-grains. Additional copper can come from drinking water from copper pipes, using copper cookware, and eating farm products sprayed with copper-containing chemicals. Copper, a chemical element that is a reddish, extremely ductile metal and an excellent conductor of electricity and heat. The pure metal is second only to silver in thermal and electric conductivity. Copper is commercially produced mainly by smelting. Copper pennies are a great way to invest because the copper can be purchased very close to the copper spot market price. The cost of their fabrication was long ago absorbed, and the only price variable left is the value of the metal they contain. Worldwide copper has been used in coins with a huge variety of designs and denominations.

1. Copper Chef
2. Copperhead Snake

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Copper: Copper from Bisbee, Arizona. This specimen is approximately 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters) across.

What is Copper?

Native copper is an element and a mineral. It is found in the oxidized zones of copper deposits; in hydrothermal veins; in the cavities of basalt that have been in contact with hydrothermal solutions; and as pore fillings and replacements in conglomerates that have been in contact with hydrothermal solutions. It is rarely found in large quantities, thus it is seldom the primary target of a mining operation. Most copper produced is extracted from sulfide deposits.

Uses of Copper

Native copper was probably one of the early metals worked by ancient people. Nuggets of the metal could be found in streams in a few areas, and its properties allowed it to be easily worked without a required processing step. Copper's metallic luster attracted people's attention. Today most copper is produced from sulfide ores.

Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity. Most copper mined today is used to conduct electricity - mostly as wiring. It is also an excellent conductor of heat and is used in cooking utensils, heat sinks, and heat exchangers. Large amounts are also used to make alloys such as brass (copper and zinc) and bronze (copper, tin, and zinc). Copper is also alloyed with precious metals such as gold and silver. Copper has many other uses.

The best way to learn about minerals is to study with a collection of small specimens that you can handle, examine, and observe their properties. Inexpensive mineral collections are available in the Geology.com Store.

Copper Chef

Copperhead Snake