Mohawkite

Mohawkite is a rare rock consisting of mixtures

of arsenic, silver, nickel, skutterudite and copper, with the formula Cu3As up to Cu6As,
and the most desirable material was usually found in white quartz matrix.[1] It has
a hardness of 3–3.5 and a metallic luster.[2] It is named after the Mohawk mine where it
was originally found. Colors range from brassy-yellow to metallic gray, and sometimes
will have a blue or greenish surface tarnish. These colors come from its two main
ingredients, the arsenic-rich copper minerals algodonite and domeykite. Its color may
resemble pyrrhotite, but unlike pyrrhotite, mohawkite is not magnetic.

Etymology and origin

Mohawkite is believed to be found only in a copper mine located on the Keweenaw

Peninsula of Michigan, known as the Mohawk Mine. The Mohawk Mine is where
mohawkite was first discovered, in January 1900, near No. 1 shaft when a fissure vein of
copper ore was cut. Specimens of this ore were sent to George A Koenig, of
the Michigan College of Mines (now known as Michigan Technological University) for
analysis. The ore was believed to be an entirely new mineral and was named mohawkite
by Koenig.[3] A reanalysis of the material in 1971 found it to be an intimate mixture of
copper and nickel arsenides and the mohawkite name was discredited as a mineral
species

Uses

Mohawkite, being a copper ore, is used for obtaining copper. However, when the copper
is removed, it is toxic due to the amounts of arsenic in it. Mohawkite, particularly when it
contains quartz, is often used in jewelry because of its appearance.