Laib Creek Beryl Occurrence, Nelson, Nelson Mining Division, British Columbia, Canadai

Regional Level Types
Laib Creek Beryl Occurrence	Occurrence
Nelson	City
Nelson Mining Division	Division
British Columbia	Province
Canada	Country

Latitude 049º 20' 24'' North; Longitude: 116º 52' 52'' West. The occurrence lies about 7 kilometres west of the south arm of Kootenay Lake and 34 kilometres south-east of Nelson, British Columbia.
Giles Peatfield comments:
There is a brief description of the occurrence, listed as a showing, on the British Columbia “Minfile” site, current to 2012. Portions of this description relative to geology are quoted below:
“The area is underlain by granites and granodiorites of the middle Cretaceous Bayonne Batholith (Shaw Creek stock) and sediments of the La France [Creek] Group. Pegmatites cut all rock types and host beryl crystals.”
“In 2003, two locations on the OMG and Cultus claims, to the south, were identified, containing 10 to 30 centimetre wide quartz veins that extend out of the quartz cores through the host coarse-grained pegmatite and into surrounding aplite and/or sedimentary rock types. These veins comprise 90 per cent light grey to smokey quartz with subordinate K-feldspar, trace beryl and molybdenite, and up to 5 per cent vugs, lined with rimes of very fine-grained micas and/or clays, and occasionally beryl crystals. Several gemmy ice-blue, translucent to transparent, euhedral aquamarine crystals, up to 6 millimetres in diameter, have been found in this vein type. Molybdenite occurs as sparse, yet coarse disseminations up to 1.5 centimetres. Smokey quartz is most prevalent in and around vuggy sections of the veins . . . .”
Brown (2004) wrote that “Recent mapping carried out by the author for Cream Minerals Ltd. outlined a further northward extension of the Shaw Creek stock into the Laib Creek area, not previously mapped by Reesor (1996). Beryl showings in the vicinity of the Shaw Creek stock were recently discovered by prospector Lloyd Addie of Nelson BC. In the fall of 2002, Cream Minerals Ltd. of Vancouver, BC, entered into an option agreement with Mr. Addie, to develop the property as an aquamarine and emerald gemstone property.”
There are no published dates specifically for the rocks at the Laib Creek occurrence. The Bayonne batholith is a multi-phase plutonic complex; this occurrence is within the so-called Steeple Mountain pluton. Webster and Pattison (2014) wrote that “What is referred to as the ‘Bayonne batholith’ . . . comprises multiple phases: the Mount Skelly pluton, the Shaw Creek stock, Heather Creek pluton, Drewry Point pluton and Steeple Mountain plutons (Leclair, 1988). Existing geochronology by Davis (1995) and Brown et al. (1999) have shown that individual phases range in age from 99 (Steeple Mountain) to 76 Ma (Shaw Creek).”
Giles Peatfield Comments on the Minerals Reported:
This list, while probably incomplete, includes those minerals specifically reported as occurring in the pegmatites and surrounding rocks at the beryl showing.
Amphibole group: Brown and Dandy (2005) report “amphibole” as a constituent of metapelite.
Beryl: This is the mineral of interest at this occurrence. Brown (2004) wrote that “Beryl crystals in the pegmatite are pale-to medium-ice-blue to greenish-blue in colour and range up to 10 centimetres in diameter. Some of the best quality aquamarines are found within or along the margin of quartz cores within surrounding coarse-grained pegmatite. At two known locations, 10 to 30 centimetre wide quartz veins appear to extend out of the quartz cores, through the host coarse-grained pegmatite, and into surrounding aplite and/or sedimentary lithologies. These veins comprise 90% light-grey to smokey quartz with subordinate K-feldspar, trace beryl and molybdenite, and up to 5% vugs, lined with rhimes [sic – rimes?] of very fine-grained micas and/or clays, and occasionally beryl crystals. Several gemmy ice-blue, translucent to transparent, euhedral aquamarine crystals, to 6 millimetres in diameter, have been found in this vein type. Molybdenite occurs as sparse, yet coarse disseminations up to 1.5 centimetres. Smokey quartz is most prevalent in and around vuggy sections of the veins.” The following quoted notes are from a Cream Minerals Ltd. Press Release dated November 12, 2003: “In this northern area, beryl crystals are found within abundant pegmatite dykes. The beryl crystals are pale to medium ice blue to greenish blue in colour and range up to 10 centimetres in diameter. Detailed observations of beryl occurrences within the grid also led to the discovery of a second style of Aquamarine mineralization. Ice-blue coloured, translucent to transparent, euhedral Aquamarine crystals, up to 6 mm in diameter, grew within late forming, 10-30 centimetre wide smoky quartz veins containing significant vugs and traces of molybdenite. Beryl crystals from this vein are some of the best quality on the property and represent a new and important type of exploration target.” See also Legun (2004).
Feldspar group: All workers have reported megacrystic K-feldspar in the intrusive rocks.
Garnet group: Brown (2004) mentioned that the aplite is “garnetiferous”, but gave no further data.
Mica group: Muscovite and biotite have been reported in the intrusive rocks.
Molybdenite: See note above for beryl.
Quartz: See note above for beryl.
Giles Peatfield Comments on the Rock Types Reported:
These rock names were reported for the showing area by Reesor (1996) and by Brown (2004).

Giles Peatfield
BASc. (Geological Engineering) University of British Columbia 1966.
PhD Queen's University at Kingston 1978.
Worked for Texas Gulf Sulphur / Texasgulf Inc. / Kidd Creek Mines - 1966 to 1985.
Consultant 1985 to 2016

Other Databases

Link to British Columbia Minfile:	082FSE139

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References