True North Gems recovers 139 carat sapphire from new Baffin Island discovery

True North Gems announces the discovery of a new sapphire prospect, named the Kikturiaq (Mosquito) occurrence, on its Beluga sapphire property located near the hamlet of Kimmirut, on the south coast of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. The samples collected from the surface exposure included several sapphires. The largest is a near-complete crystal weighing 27.85 grams (139.24 carats). This discovery represents the highlight of the 2007 exploration program now completed on the 18.5 km2 Beluga sapphire property.

The Kikturiaq occurrence is located approximately 1,200 metres north-northeast from the main Beluga occurrence, which has been the focus of previous exploration activity on the property. The large sapphire crystal is a well formed, barrel-shaped prism which occurs in three fragments. The largest of these fragments weighs 18.1 grams (90.6 carats), measures 15mm in diameter and 20mm in length, and displays typical Beluga colour zoning, with a colourless core and a bright to dark blue outer rim. Clarity ranges from transparent to translucent. Brittle fracturing, overprinted by recent surface weathering, affects the exposed sapphire crystals.

Nine discrete sapphire showings were found along the 225 metre long, arc-shaped Kikturiaq occurrence and mini-bulk samples were excavated using Pionjar drills, feathers and wedges. The total sample weight collected in 2007 from this new prospect is estimated at 1,300 kilograms.

Four additional new sapphire occurrences were identified on the property, including the Imakkuutuq occurrence, which contained six sapphire showings, located 500 metres southeast of the Kikturiaq. Grab samples were collected for mineralogical analysis with bulk sampling planned for the 2008 program.

The 2007 exploration program comprised detailed geological mapping and ultraviolet light prospecting of the Beluga property followed up by mini bulk sampling of the most prospective, new sapphire showings. The known sapphire occurrences, including colourless, blue, pink and yellow sapphire, are associated with marbles containing calc-silicate lenses displaying locally pervasive, late metamorphic and hydrothermal replacement.

Story link: True North Gems recovers 139 carat sapphire from new Baffin Island discovery