The Tenakihi Range quartz vein occurrence is located in the low hills of the Tenakihi Range, 6.5 kilometres east of Mile 55 on the old Aiken Lake winter road in the upper reaches of Jim May Creek, approximately 57 kilometres northwest of the community of Germansen Landing.

Hostrocks are metamorphosed sedimentary rocks of the Neoproterozoic Ingenika Group (probably the Swannell Formation) which have been metamorphosed to grades beyond the garnet isograd to upper greenschist-lower amphibolite grade. Lithologies include impure quartzite, garnet mica schist, schist, phyllite, limestone, feldspathic sandstone, and arkosic wacke (Fieldwork 1991, page 131). Metamorphogenic quartz veins are common in the rocks at higher metamorphic rank. Many are relatively pure quartz with very minor muscovite, biotite, and tourmaline. The veins are generally concordant, and range in thickness from 1 to 5 metres. The largest vein is 180 by 55 metres in size and at least 8 metres in thickness.