The oldest rocks in the area are complexly folded and metamorphosed schists and gneisses, and mafic volcanics (basalt) all of Devonian age and belonging to the Stikine Assemblage. These are overlain by Devonian to Permian, white to grey, crystalline limestone and other sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Stikine Assemblage. Regionally, these rocks are overlain by a volcanic and sedimentary sequence of the Upper Triassic Stuhini Group. Late Devonian and Eocene intrusions are mapped in the Joy 2 region.
At the Joy 2SE showing, skarn mineralization occurs at the contact of white crystalline limestone with a monzodiorite dyke. The skarn zone ranges from 1 to 3 metres wide, but could only be traced along strike for, approximately, 10 metres. The zone is found beside a north-south trending creek which appears to be related to a structure displaying right lateral movement with a displacement of 6 to 7 metres. Shears measured in the limestone and the skarn are oriented at 202 degrees/48 degrees northwest dip. The skarn displays a sharp contact with the monzodiorite but is gradational with the limestone. The mineralization itself is irregular, poddy and discontinuous and consists of 5 to 30 per cent pyrrhotite and less than 5 per cent pyrite.
The original chip sample, collected from a high grade, sulphide-bearing, skarn pod, assayed 11.21 grams per tonne gold across 1.00 metre. Subsequently a total of 11 chip samples were collected and the best result, which was taken in close proximity to the original sample, was 9.60 grams per tonne gold over 1.00 metre (Assessment Report 21042). Analysis of the chip samples returned up to 0.17 per cent copper, while the lead, zinc and arsenic were, generally, at background levels. The results indicate that the gold grades are erratic and discontinuous along strike and are restricted to the skarn zone and/or its' immediate hangingwall strata.
The Joy 2SE skarn showing was discovered during the 1990 exploration program on the Joy claims operated by Big M Resources Ltd. For details of the geology and work history of the showing area refer to Joy 2 (104B 210).
