Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI000000001709

Record: MDI000000001709

General

Mineral Record Identification
Record Name(s) Canadian Shield Amethyst Mine - 2014, Blakely Breezy Lake Project - 2016, Pearl Amethyst - 2015
Related Record Type
Record Status Producing Mine
Date Created 2014-Jun-10
Date Last Modified 2021-Nov-17
Created By Mark Puumala
Revised By Therese Pettigrew

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Amethyst



Location

Township or Area: McTavish

Latitude: 48° 41' 27.57"    Longitude: -88° 39' 55.53"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 377437   Northing: 5394444    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 52A10NE

Point Location Description: centre of active quarry trench

Location Method: Field Visit with GPS

Access Description: Turn onto Pearl Road No. 5 from Highway 11/17, then take first left after the railway tracks for 4 km and turn left onto the gated quarry access road



Exploration History

Interest in amethyst exploration in the Pearl area was sparked by the discovery of large amethyst veins near Elbow Lake in the 1950s during road construction. In the early 1960’s the occurrence was staked and ultimately was developed into the Thunder Bay Amethyst Mine. Additional prospecting activity during the 1960s uncovered numerous additional amethyst showings to the east of the Thunder Bay Amethyst Mine, in the area where the present-day Canadian Shield Amethyst Mine is located (OFR5891). 2006-8: K. Bartel carried out drilling and blasting, with minor extraction. 2013: MNDM Exploration permit issued to G. Blakely to allow for an exploration program consisting of mechanized drilling, stripping and pitting/trenching. 2014: The quarry operates under the authority of MNR Aggregate License No. 616261 which allows for the extraction of up to 7500 t/year within a 34.5 ha quarry area. 2015: G. Blakely carried out overburden stripping, drilling, and cleaning. 2016: G. Blakely carried out stripping, cleaning, and drilling of 2 DDH totalling 40 m.


Assessment Work on File

Assessment Work on File
Office File Number Online Assessment File Identifier Online Assessment File Directory
2.56654 20000013989 20000013989
2.57049 20000013995 20000013995

Geology

Province: Southern

Subprovince: Nipigon Basin

Formation Group: Sibley Group

Geological Age: Mesoproterozoic  



Lithology

Lithology Data
Rock Type Rank Composition Texture Relationship
Quartz Monzonite 1
Terrigenous-Clastic-Unsubdivided 2

Mineralization

Mineralization and Alteration
Rank Mineral Name Class Economic Mineral Type Alteration Mineral Type Alteration Ranking Alteration Intensity Alteration Style
1AmethystECONOMICORE
2SphaleriteECONOMICORE
3GalenaECONOMICORE
4PyriteECONOMICORE

Mineralization Comments

Jun 10, 2014 (Mark Puumala) - The Canadian Shield Amethyst Mine operates under MNR quarry permit number 616261. The quarry permit covers an area of 34.5 ha and allows for the annual extraction of up to 7500 tonnes


Feb 25, 2020 (Therese Pettigrew) - The Pearl Amethyst Project property is underlain by Archean quartz monzonite rocks of the Quetico subprovince and Proterozoic rocks of the Sibley group. A northeast-trending fault mineralized with amethyst (+/-sphalerite, +/-galena, +/-pyrite) trends though the central portion of the property (Assessment report 20000013989).



Assay Samples

Mineral Record Details

Classification
RankClassification            
1 Vein

Site Visit Information

Date: Nov 08, 2013

Geologist: Mark Puumala

Notes: The active amethyst quarry pit is located at UTM Zone 16, 377438E, 5394444N, follows a 060-striking fault/breccia zone that occurs near the unconformable contact between Granitoid rocks and the overlying Sibley Group. Granitic rocks are exposed on the north side of the fault, while sedimentary rocks of the Sibley Group are exposed to the south. Amethyst occurs in veins and vugs within the breccia zone. Another breccia zone is exposed in outcrop approximately 45 m to the southwest of the working pit at UTM Zone 16, 377397E, 5394424N. Here, the dominant strike of the veins is 030. Vein filling minerals include quartz, amethyst and smoky quartz. Breccia fragments include a mixture of granitic and sedimentary clasts. Conglomerate, most likely representative of the basal unit of Sibley Group rocks), is exposed at the southern end of the outcrop.



References

Map - Geological series, McTavish Township (west part of north half), District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: P0720 Scale: 1:15,840    Date: 1997

Author: McIlwaine W.H.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs


Mono - Amethyst in the Thunder Bay Area

Publication Number: OFR5891 Scale:     Date: 1994

Author: Garland M.I.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey


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Ministry Contact Information

For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Thunder Bay South Resident Geologist District Office