DIAMONDS: Altius discovers gems at Lynx project in Manitoba

MANITOBA – In what appears to be a first by a public company, Altius Minerals Corp. of St. John’s, Nfld., says it has discovered both micro- and macro-diamonds on the Lynx diamond property near the community of Oxford House. Altius optioned the project from a consortium of prospectors and geologists who worked with the Manitoba Geological Survey in 2016 to study the potential of the area around Knee Lake. [caption id="attachment_1003720158" align="alignleft" width="238"] Off-white, transparent, inclusion free diamond fragment discovered at the Lynx property in Manitoba. (Credit: Altius Minerals)[/caption] This area of the province has long been recognized as an area of kimberlite indicator minerals, but no diamonds had been found until the consortium released news of 144 micro-diamonds collected from a 15.8-kg sample was reported in January 2017. During June and July Altius collected 23 outcrop channel and grab samples from various parts of the property. The 11 samples collected from the Eastern Bay zone were diamondiferous, and yielded between 34 and 303 micro-diamonds per sample. Eight of the stones can be considered macro with dimensions of at least 0.5 mm. The largest one has an axis of 1.42 mm. Analysis of the diamonds indicated that 24% were colourless-to-white and 45% were off-white. Altius has plans to continue at Lynx with mapping, sampling, indicator minerals studies and composition examinations. The company acknowledged the support of the Bunibonibee Cree Nation at Oxford House and the Manitoba Department of Growth, Enterprise and Trade, Mineral Resources Division. A full description of all results is available on Altius’s website,  www.AltiusMinerals.com.