VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwire – Nov. 24, 2009) – True North Gems (TSX VENTURE:TGX) is pleased to announce the completion of field work and receipt of analytical results for the company’s 100% owned True Blue aquamarine property in the Yukon. The purpose of the program was to investigate the rare earth element (REE) and niobium potential of the property. Grab samples were collected at three separate locations and have returned assays up to 6.02% Total Rare Earth Oxides + Yttrium (TREO) and 2.52% Niobium Oxide (Nb2O5). These high grade results confirm REE and Nb mineralization within a skarn and altered felsic dyke swarm. Further exploration will be required on these new discoveries.
The True Blue property is located 55 kilometres south of Ross River, Yukon and is accessible via all-weather road to the Ketza River gold mine, followed by 10 kilometers of summer-only road to the property.
In addition, an individual chip-channel sample from outcrop returned 0.42% TREO and 0.58% Nb2O5 over five (5) meters width. The north-south striking felsic dyke swarm at the Guano occurrence is intermittently exposed over a length of about 750 metres. Within this zone, numerous narrow to multi-metre wide dykes intrude over an observed horizontal width of between 40 and 100 metres thickness.
In addition, anomalous REE analyses were returned from both the Camp Skarn and Shark Bowl prospects that are located 1.2 kilometres and 2.8 kilometres respectively from the Guano prospect. Together with anomalous silt sediment samples, these results indicate that the True Blue property hosts excellent potential for the discovery of a rare earth and niobium enriched mineral deposit or deposits. Importantly, the TREO analyses for all three prospects (Guano, Camp Skarn & Shark Bowl) are anomalously enriched with the rarer, and typical higher value, heavy rare earth element series (HREE – defined as Europium (Eu) through to Lutetium (Lu)).
The current program was primarily comprised of prospecting, magnetometer surveying, mapping, and geochemical sampling, with the assistance of both a scintillometer and a portable Niton XRF unit. The full geochemical and analytical results from the samples collected during the 2009 field season are summarized on the company’s website. Each of the three prospecting areas are described below:
Guano Prospect: The Guano occurrence consists of hornfels and diopside-calcite-phlogopite skarn located at the metamorphic aureole of a syenite intrusive of Mississippian age. The skarn itself is intruded by dark coloured, altered zircon-enriched felsic dykes interpreted to be related to the syenite. A reconnaissance scale magnetometer survey identified several positive magnetic anomalies that are associated with the Guano skarn and sheeted dyke occurrence. This target and the magnetic anomalies have yet to be drill tested.
A total of 44 rock samples were collected and analyzed from the current program to assess the different rock types. Samples from the Guano prospect ranged in value from 0.13% TREO to 6.02% TREO. The arithmetic average of all Guano samples is 0.90% TREO and 0.55% Nb2O5. and the average percentage of HREE in all of the Guano samples is 10%. The rare earth mineral allanite has been observed at the Guano occurrence. Further mineralogical studies are currently being conducted to determine the other REE minerals and niobium mineralogy of the Guano prospect.
Camp Skarn: The Camp Skarn is a new discovery in 2009 and is located 1.2 kilometres west-north-west of the northern end of the Guano prospect. At this location, a coarse grained garnet-allanite skarn zone was located as float and minor outcrop over about 150 metres of north-south strike and is hosted within altered syenite. A total of seven samples were collected and analytical results from the rock samples contained 0.03% TREO to 1.99% TREO. The average percentage of HREE in all of the Camp Skarn samples is 12%. Geochemical results indicate that this prospect contains lower levels of niobium, zirconium, and thorium suggesting a different genetic history to the Guano prospect. Further mineralogical studies are currently being conducted to determine the REE mineralogy of this prospect.
Shark Bowl: The Shark Bowl area is located 2.8 kilometres west of the north end of the Guano prospect and is associated with quartz-fluorite-allanite veins crosscutting the REE enriched syenite. During the current program, one sample of an allanite bearing quartz vein was collected from this area and analyzed for REE potential. The sample returned a geochemical analysis of 0.14% TREO with 6% HREE. The rare earth minerals bastnaesite and monazite have been confirmed at the Shark Bowl occurrence.
Stream Sediment Sampling: During the current program a total of four silt samples were collected. These samples encompass a drainage catchment area of approximately 1.3 square kilometers, primarily draining areas of altered syenite and the adjacent altered host rocks. The silt samples returned REE values ranging between 0.06% and 0.12% TREO and 144 to 294 ppm Nb. The highest silt sample value of 0.12% TREO and 294 ppm Nb is associated with a stream catchment area of only 0.34 square kilometers; this stream drains an area of altered syenite from within the Shark Bowl prospect area. These stream sediment results demonstrate a large stream catchment area containing anomalous rare earth elements and niobium that significantly expand the target area beyond the known Guano, Camp Skarn and Shark Bowl REE and niobium prospects.
The field program was conducted over an eight day period in August and was operated by Mackevoy Geosciences Ltd. The field crew was headed by David Turner, M.Sc., P.Geo.. The True Blue field program was conducted with financial support from the Yukon Mining Incentives Program (YMIP).
True North Gems Inc. is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and is engaged in the exploration and development of North American and Greenlandic coloured gemstone prospects. The Company is a pioneer in coloured gemstone exploration and, currently in Greenland, has the rights to earn 100% interest in the Fiskenaesset ruby and pink sapphire property, and holds a 100% interest in the Qaqqatsiaq ruby property, and in Canada, holds a 100% interest in the Tsa da Glisza emerald property, Yukon, and the Beluga sapphire property located on Baffin Island, Nunavut.
The Company relies on litigation protection for “forward-looking” statements. Certain technical information contained within this press release is 43-101 non-compliant by virtue of the fact that National Instrument 43-101which governs public disclosure of technical information for mineral exploration properties in Canada is silent with respect to the exploration and technical disclosure of gemstone properties. The company employs high standards for the collection of geological information and exploration data, employs industry recognized professionals as qualified persons to provide oversight and management of the exploration programs and is committed to the implementation of QA/QC protocols to monitor the integrity of the technical information.
True North Gems Inc.
Andrew Lee Smith, P.Geo.
President and CEO
604-687-8055 or 1-800-399-8055
or
True North Gems Inc.
Ken Shortt
Investor Relations
604-687-8055 or 1-800-399-8055
info@truenorthgems.com
www.truenorthgems.com