Stephan Burnett
Northern News Services

Lake Harbour (Oct 04/04) - True North Gems is proceeding on several different fronts at the same time in their effort to create a Northern gemstone mining, manufacturing and marketing company.

While the company is analyzing bulk samples from its Beluga gemstones exploration play just outside of Kimmirut, it is also doing marketing studies on selling the gems and setting up impact agreements with the hamlet.

Brad Wilson, a geologist and gemologist working on contract with True North Gems, and prospector Seemega Aqpik check out some rock samples at True North's Beluga gemstone exploration project located just outside Kimmirut. - photo courtesy of True North Gems

While True North is exploring the market and the manufacturing of gemstones, it's also doing air surveys.

"The old style is first you do one thing and then you do the next. The new way of doing things is all the horses are racing down the track at the same time," said William Rohtert, chief operating officer for the company.

"What that means is as soon as we have viability, we can polish and set them and sell them. The net result is that Canada benefits, the project proceeds quickly and that's what you're seeing."

Another reason why True North has been able to proceed so quickly is that it is a smaller operation.

"It is exciting. In five years, Canada has become the third largest diamond producer in the world. The intensity for exploration is a direct spin off of that," he said.

When True North started into the Kimmirut exploration play for sapphires, it had only one occurrence.

In the course of prospecting, True North has found five more gemstone occurrences spread around a 390-metre diameter.

The occurrences are found in blocks of altered metapelite -- old mud stones -- set in marble.

"The largest occurrence, known as the Bowhead, measures about 100 meters in diameter by three meters in thickness," states a news release issued by the company Sept. 28.

Rohtert said the gemstones are "broken up into faults and floating around like a marble melange."

Now, the company expects to drill a grid of holes, hoping to hit more occurrences.

"It's much like the old children's game Battleship," said Rohtert.

The company is also providing some of the gems back to Kimmirut artisans.

"Right now I'm looking at two bags of gemstones that are going back to the local artisans. The Arctic Community College has a two-year training course in jewelry design, but they have no access to precious stones. This is part of our social contract," said Rohtert.