True North continues search for Baffin sapphires

True North Gems had an active exploration program this summer on the company’s Beluga sapphire property, located near Kimmirut.

The original property was comprised of two claims, with an area of about 10 square kilometres.

True North Gems expanded the beluga property with two additional claims, covering six kilometres.

True North Gems received its water license from the Nunavut Water Board as well as an extension to its land use permit. The expiration date for the operating permit was extended until July 7, 2007.

The company’s 2006 exploration program focused on rocks with visible, colourless to deep blue, pink and yellow sapphire and on the sampling of promising formations.

“The beluga property continues to provide exceptional high quality, colorless to naturally colored, multi-carat gem sapphires and the 2006 exploration will advance the project with detailed geological and geochemical mapping accompanied by mini-bulk sample evaluation of gemstone potential from each of the known occurrences,” said Greg Davison, True North Gems’ vice president exploration, in a recent news release.

True North Gems also started bulk sampling of its 110 square kilometre Aappaluttoq ruby property in western Greenland and installed a gravity concentrator in Fiskenaesset.

About 30 tonnes of ruby material were processed this season on-site using the portable gravity concentrator in Fiskenaesset. Once the sampling at Aappaluttoq is done, True North Gems plans to continue bulk sampling of a second 30 tonnes at its nearby Kigutilik site.

“The gravity concentrator is an important addition to the infrastructure True North Gems is developing around its Greenland ruby projects,” says the company’s news release.

True North says the gravity concentrator will reduce mineral processing costs, result in more efficient handling of ruby bearing material and provide jobs in the region.