Copper

Raw Copper Nuggets from Zimbabwe

Individual copper nuggets from Zimbabwe, pieces are sold individually or orders can also be placed by weight.  Prices are calculated at 15p per gram and there's a large selection of pieces to choose from.  Due to the volume of copper that we sell it's not possible for us to photograph each nugget individually.  If you'd like to place an order for a specific weight please get in touch to let us know the weight that you require and we'll then send you an invoice to enable you to make payment. 

Copper was one of the first metals to have been used by man and can be traced back as far as 10,000 years. It was also the first metal to be smelted which is the process of extracting a metal from an ore by heating and melting.  Imported by the Roman Empire from Cyprus, copper was originally called aes cyprium meaning "metal of Cyprus" although that was later shortened to cuprum.

Widely used in industry because it resists corrosion from the air, moisture and sea water, copper conducts electricity and heat hence is used in pipes, wiring, heating, cooling applications and cooking pans.  It's widely alloyed with other metals including brass which is copper and zinc, bronze which is copper, zinc and tin although other elements are often added and sterling silver which is 7.5% copper 92.5% silver hence the widely used 925 hallmark.  Even though copper is used for the purpose of strengthening silver it is in itself quite a soft metal that's both ductile and malleable.  Once shaped and hammered it hardens but after being heated it softens once again.  Whilst most people think of silver as being a metal that tarnishes, in its purest form silver does not tarnish but copper does hence the tarnish seen on sterling silver is actually caused by the copper.

Copper is an important trace element that's vital for the health of all living organisms and can be found in a wide range of foods.

Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Photo Stone Mania ©

As well being a chemical compound copper can also occur as a native element (known as native copper) which means it's not combined with any other element.  Most copper is extracted from ores which are rocks that contain important elements and metals in sufficient quantities to make extracting them worthwhile but the quantity is often very small.  The distinctive green coloured mineral known as malachite is one of the oldest ores of copper.

Prior to 1992 coins in the United Kingdom contained 97% copper which meant the 2p coin contained 6.9 grams of copper and the penny 3.45 grams. As market price increased the amount of copper that was being used had to be reduced. From 1992 one and two pence coins have been manufactured from steel with only a thin copper plate hence they're now less valuable than they once were.  As of 2016 there are estimated to be approximately 10.5 billion 1p coins in circulation which equates to around £105,000,000.

Our third photo gives an idea of the size of different pieces of copper.  For context we've included a standard sized paper clip.  The large nugget on the left measures 2.9 x 1.3 x 0.6 (cms) and weighs 10.4 grams, the large piece on the right measures 2.7 x 1.5 x 1.3 and weighs 17.2 grams.  The copper nugget on the front left measures 2.1 x 1.5 x 0.8 and weighs 7.6 grams and the piece on the right measures 1.4 x 1.3 x 0.6 and weighs 1.6.

To see our original sized photograph of these copper nuggets head over to our page on Flickr and zoom right in.

Copper Nuggets | Pieces Currently Available

4.2g / 2.2 x 1.5 cms £0.63 - CPPR-001

4.8g / 2.6 x 1.8 cms £0.72 - CPPR-002

5.5g / 2 x 1.3 cms £0.82 - CPPR-003

5.7g / 2.8 x 1.4 cms £0.85 - CPPR-004

5.8g / 2.4 x 1.5 cms £0.87 - CPPR-005

7.6g / 2 x 1.3 cms £1.14 - CPPR-006

7.7g / 2.9 x 1.5 cms £1.15 - CPPR-007

8.1g / 2.2 x 1.8 cms £1.21 - CPPR-008

8.3g / 2.7 x 1.5 cms £1.24 - CPPR-009

9.1g / 2.4 x 1.9 cms £1.36 - CPPR-010

9.9g / 2.1 x 1.9 cms £1.48 - CPPR-011

10g / 2.2 x 1.6 cms £1.50 -  CPPR-012

10g / 2.8 x 1.3 cms £1.50 - CPPR-013

10.1g / 1.9 x 1.6 cms £1.51 - CPPR-014

12g / 2.1 x 1.7 cms £1.80 - CPPR-015

12g / 2.1 x 1.9 cms £1.80 - CPPR-016

12.7g / 2.2 x 1.6 cms £1.90 - CPPR-017

13.1g / 3 x 2.1 cms £1.96 - CPPR-018

14.6g / 3.5 x 2 cms £2.19 - CPPR-019

15g / 2 x 1.6 cms £2.25 - CPPR-020

15.4g / 2.2 x 1.8 cms £2.35 - CPPR-021