The Jewelry Box occurrence is located east of a small unnamed lake about 5 kilometres south of Emerson Creek, 50 kilometres south of the community of Smithers.
The showing area is underlain by moderately southwest dipping andesitic to rhyolitic flows and pyroclastics of the Lower Jurassic Telkwa Formation (Hazelton Group). These rocks have been intruded by a large granitic to porphyritic body; the adjacent and overlying volcanics are silicified and pyritic. Three major north-northeast trending fault structures cut across the property. The volcanics have been intruded by large Early Cretaceous granitic to porphyritic body of the McCauley Island Plutonic Suite centred on the northern portion of the property.
At the Jewelry Box showing, massive andesitic flows exhibit epidote-quartz alteration with local disseminated and fracture-controlled pyrite. Light coloured, northeast trending, steeply northwest dipping felsite dikes cut the andesite. The dikes are up to 3 metres wide and generally contain minor disseminated pyrite and may locally exhibit silicification and iron carbonate alteration.
Zones of quartz-iron carbonate alteration are generally along or within major fault zones or associated splays. A sample from a quartz-iron carbonate altered andesite breccia mineralized with pyrite and locally chalcopyrite analyzed 1.9 per cent copper and 2.3 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 22638, page 5).
In 2012, drilling by International Samuel intersected minor mineralization. These drillholes were focused on the anomalous areas of the 2012 induced polarization (IP) program located between the MINFILE plotted locations of the Jewelry Box (093L 321) and Ridge (093L 322) showings. Drillhole JBDD-12-01 intersected a 0.35-metre zone of quartz-calcite veins with three per cent disseminated pyrite grading 2.23 grams per tonne gold and 0.3 per cent copper; and a 2.6-metre intersection containing chlorite stringers in a zone of pink clay alteration that graded 0.16 per cent copper (Assessment Report 33491). Hole JBDD-12-02 yielded one significant 0.45-metre intersection with a 5-centimetre-wide quartz-calcite-chlorite vein containing five per cent disseminated and blebby pyrite, and trace disseminated chalcopyrite. This intersection graded 0.4 gram per tonne gold and 0.26 per cent copper (Assessment Report 33491).
Work History
The first documented work dates from the mid 1960s when Phelps Dodge Corporation explored the general area for porphyry copper mineralization and constructed 19 kilometres of cat roads to provide access to the property. In 1967, Applegate collected a series of silts on the Telkwa Canyon "B" property on behalf of Phelps Dodge (Assessment Report 1189). In 1974, Granges carried out an exploration program consisting of six diamond-drill holes; the holes were drilled to evaluate copper concentrations in the intrusions that underlie the volcanics on the property.
In 1987, the British Columbia Government released a geochemical survey which covered the area of the present property. Several creeks draining the Jewelry Box area displayed anomalous precious metal values. In 1987, Atna Resources collected 7 silt samples, 77 rock chip samples, and 21 stream sediment samples. The results yielded elevated gold values in rock samples of up to 1230 parts per billion (ppb) gold, and stream sediment values of up to 1700 ppb gold. It was suggested that the area has potential for fault controlled precious metals mineralization (Assessment Report 18002). In 1988, Atna collected 37 rock samples from the Emerson property (Assessment Report 19293).
In 1988, on their Houston-Tommy property, Noranda Exploration collected a total of 232 soil samples, 31 silt samples, and 28 rock samples which were analyzed for 30 elements. Several zinc, lead, gold and molybdenum anomalies were detected. Based on the results, additional prospecting and sampling was recommended (Assessment Report 18032).
In 1989, A 1:50,000 scale geological map of the Thautil River (NTS 93L/6) was completed (Open File 1990-05). In 1990, Atna Resources collected 50 rock samples from the Echo, Pig, Cedar and Willow claims of the Emerson property (Assessment Report 20391). In 1991, Atna Resources collected an additional 37 rock samples from areas of alteration and mineralization. The most encouraging developments were the discoveries of the Ridge, Jewelry Box, and Carbonate showings. Anomalous precious metal values were realized in stream sediments, and soil and rock samples. Additional trenching, sampling, shallow drilling, and VLF surveys were recommended (Assessment Report 21888). In 1992, Atna Resources carried out a program of detailed geological mapping at a scale of 1:2000, rock sampling (10 samples), and orientation VLF surveys on their Emerson claims located in the northern part of the current Jewelry Box property. The purpose of this program was to evaluate the general area of the Jewelry Box showing. As a result, the Jewelry Box precious metal area displayed associations with felsic diking and along structure, while anomalous copper and gold values are related to the zone of silicification or iron-carbonate brecciation (Assessment Report 22638). In 1993, Atna Resources continued to explore between two gold prospects; a total of 266 soil samples were collected in this area. This follow-up prospecting and sampling has led to the discovery of precious metal mineralization associated with quartz/pyrite veins and silicification along major structures called northern anomalies. The completed soil survey between the Jewelry Box and Ridge showings indicates anomalous areas located along a north-northeast fault structure (Assessment Report 23219).
In 2010, Peter E. Walcott & Associates Limited undertook two lines of reconnaissance IP surveying over the Phi claim block owned by Alexander Walcott of Vancouver, British Columbia. The Phi claims were later held by International Samuel Exploration Corp. In 2011, International Samuel Exploration Corp. undertook 3.2 line kilometres of IP surveys (Assessment Report 33491). The two east-west lines were located in between the MINFILE plotted locations of the Jewelry Box (093L 321) and Ridge (093L 322) showings. The 2012 exploration program on the Jewelry Box property consisted of 548 line kilometres of Heliborne high resolution aeromagnetic surveys, 14.7 line kilometres of IP surveys, the collection of 30 silt samples, regional prospecting and 402.9 metres of diamond drilling in two holes. The IP survey was completed in the vicinity of the Jewelry Box (093L 321) and Ridge (093L 322) showings and identified two large east-northeasterly trending chargeability anomalies proximal to known mineralized showings. The 2012 airborne magnetic survey identified two additional areas of interest. As a result, 30 stream sediments samples were taken, and prospecting was completed over the areas of interest. The aeromagnetic survey covered a number of showings including: Jewelry Box, Ridge, Number 51 (093L 051), B (093L 048), Lunlik (093L 240) and Erin (093L 298). The holes were numbered JBDD-12-01 (198.12 metres) and JBDD-12-02 (204.83 metres) and were focussed on the anomalies discovered by 2012 IP program.
In late 2018 and early 2019, Shamrock Enterprises Inc. conducted an aeromagnetic survey on the area as the Stellar property. This work identified four priority areas, referred to as the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, Orion and Lynx zones, for ground-based exploration.
In 2019, Aurwest Resources Corp. conducted an aeromagnetic survey over the Stellar property. In 2021, Aurwest completed prospecting, geochemical sampling, and an Induced Polarization survey on the Stellar property.
