The Evening Star occurrence is located at an elevation of 1250 metres on the southeastern side of Monte Cristo Mountain and north of the community of Rossland.

Regionally, the area is underlain by Lower Jurassic Elise Formation (Rossland Group) siltstone, argillite and hornfelsed siltstone, which is intruded by quartz monzonite of the Early Jurassic Rossland Plutonic Suite. The grey to black siltstone and argillite grades into hornfels and forms distinct layers within the volcanic breccias, and several horizons grade laterally into sandstone and breccia. Small Early Jurassic ammonites are reported to occur in the siltstone on Ivanhoe Ridge. The Rossland Group rocks are crosscut by north-trending lamprophyre and diorite dikes hosting disseminated pyrite.

The veins are part of the ‘North belt’ zone of discontinuous veins. On a regional scale, the veins appear to be continuous, but in detail they are lenticular and offset by north-trending faults. On the claim, the veins strike 065 degrees and dip at moderate angles to the northwest. Old shafts and trenches expose a very rusty zone crossing hornfelsed siltstone between quartz monzonitic rocks of the Early Jurassic Rossland Plutonic Suite on the south and granodioritic rocks of the Middle Jurassic Trail pluton to the north. Refer to the Le Roi (MINFILE 082FSW093) deposit for a summary of the Rossland mining camp.

The mineralized veins are hosted in siltstone, argillite and hornfelsed siltstone of the Lower Jurassic Elise Formation. The main vein is wide and irregular, trending 043 to 065 degrees and dipping moderately to the northwest. Mineralization comprises arsenopyrite, pyrite with minor chalcopyrite. The vein is also reported to host danaite and cobaltiferous arsenopyrites. Considerable stoping was done on a parallel vein hosting pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite. The pyrrhotite is reported to almost always carries a determinable amount of nickel and a trace of cobalt.

A quartz vein of considerable width is reported to be exposed in the Old Cronin tunnel. The quartz vein dips 45 degrees west and hosts molybdenite and free gold. The siliceous ore also carries a high percentage of pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite. Sylvanite, a gold telluride, was also reported. Cobaltite, native bismuth and bismuthinite are also associated with the ore.

In 1915, a sample of the pyrrhotite from the Evening Star claims assayed 0.67 per cent nickel oxide and 1.58 per cent cobalt (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 77, pages 75,76).

In 1980, seven drillholes intersected subeconomic mineralization, with the best hole assaying 0.047 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 11846).

In 1982, extensive underground workings were found to exist on the property and approximately 18 150 tonnes of waste material was identified in the lower adit; two composite samples of the dump material yielded 1.44 and 1.03 grams per tonne gold, respectively, suggesting that mineralization extends into the wallrock adjacent to the vein system (Assessment Report 11846). Also at this time, a chip sample taken across a 15-centimetre wide quartz vein exposed in the lower adit assayed 13.7 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 11846).

In 1983, a grab sample (47137) from the south vein yielded 5.1 grams per tonne gold, 15.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.80 per cent copper (Assessment Report 11846). A dump sample (47290) assayed 30.0 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 11846).

In 1986, a 1 square-metre panel sample (83113C) of limonitic siltstone with sulphides assayed 5.9 grams per tonne gold, whereas two other samples (83121C and 83122C) taken approximately 100 metres to the south-southwest from a 10-centimetre wide massive sulphide (pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite) vein yielded up to 0.9 gram per tonne gold, 0.26 per cent copper and 0.420 per cent tungsten (Assessment Report 15432).

In 1991, a 3-metre drill intersection assayed 27.43 grams per tonne gold and included 2.4 metres grading 1 per cent copper in hole NB-81-11 (George Cross News Letter #45, 1991). This drillhole was targeted 107 metres west of, and on strike from, the Evening Star Main zone, where 18 144 tonnes grading 17.1 grams per tonne gold, for a total of approximately 310 000 grams of gold, have been indicated by drilling (Assessment Report 25363).

In 1994, chip and muck samples from the raise averaged 43.4 and 25.0 grams per tonne gold, respectively, whereas diamond drilling yielded up to 12.3 grams per tonne gold over 1.5 metres in hole NB-94-5, 13.7 grams per tonne gold over 4.5 metres in hole NB-94-6 and 5.1 grams per tonne gold over 4.5 metres in hole NB-94-7 (Assessment Report 25363). The drillholes were located approximately 120 metres west of, and on strike from, the Evening Star Main zone and in the same area as the 1991 drilling.

In 1995, drill-indicated reserves were reported at 907 000 tonnes grading 10.29 grams per tonne gold, with greater than 1670 tonnes of high-grade ore being shipped during June yielding 19.4 kilograms of gold; the company intended to ship a minimum 1800 tonnes per month (Information Circular 1995-9, page 18).

The area has been explored since the late 1800s, with the Evening Star (L.801) Crown grant being staked in 1890 and extensive underground workings being developed, intermittently, over the next 40 years. Ore from the veins on the Evening Star claim was mined intermittently for 4 years during 1896 through 1908 and 1932 through 1939. A total of 2859 tonnes of ore were produced, with recovery totalling 56 701 grams gold, 21 521 grams silver and 1276 kilograms copper.

In 1979, Cominco Ltd. completed a program of rock and soil sampling on the area. The following year, seven percussion drill holes were completed.

During 1982 through 1986, Gallant Gold Mines Ltd. completed programs of rock and silt sampling, geological mapping, ground geophysical surveys and seven diamond drill holes, totalling 694.0 metres, on the area as the Georgia property.

In 1994, Pacific Vangold Mines Ltd. completed a program of five diamond drill holes, totalling 367.8 metres, and the first phases of mine activation and development, including portal and dump refurbishing, 99 metres of tunnel rehabilitation, 60.3 metres of drifting, 9.9 metres of slashing and 18 metres of raising. The following year, further development work, including drifting on the vein, was completed along with metallurgical testing of ore to be shipped to the Kettle River mill at Republic, Washington.

In 1996 and 1997 Paccom Ventures Inc. (formerly Pacific Vangold Mines) mined a portion of the Evening Star claim. Approximately 466 552 grams of gold were produced under a bulk sampling permit.