ROCK ROOM

Smithers Exploration Group's Collection of Cordilleran Rock Suites

Welcome to Smithers Exploration Group’s Rock Room, home to our classic collection of Cordilleran rock suites. This extensive collection of rock samples is representative of deposits and rock types from across British Columbia, with a focus on the northwest. It’s an important resource for the development of expertise on the geology of northern BC and the discovery of the next mines.

The collection was begun in the 1970s by local geologists and prospectors, as well as the BC Ministry of Mines, and was updated under the direction of former regional geologist Paul Wojdak. It is designed to give hands-on examples of the rocks that make up the regional geological framework of northern British Columbia. We are working hard to complete our collection: if there is a particular suite you are keen to see but we do not yet have, please let us know and we will prioritize the aquisition of those samples. If you have a suite that you would consider donating to help us fill in the gaps, please contact us.

The Rock Room occupies a spacious classroom at the Smithers Exploration Group office at #101 3423 Fulton Avenue in Smithers. We have almost 2000 rock samples catalogued, clearly labelled and stored in trays that can be removed for handling and close examination. The room is heated, well-lit and spacious .It is equipped with regular and zoom stereomicroscopes for detailed investigation.

The rock suites cover:

Plutonic
Volcanic
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
Stratigraphy
Mineral Deposits and Ore Deposit Types
Rock-forming and Ore Minerals

Call 250-877-7883 or email rockroom@smithersexplorationgroup.com if you have questions about the Rock Room or the donation requirements for samples.

SEG’s Rock Room with its Cordilleran Rock Suites will make Smithers home to a unique tool for explorationists. It will attract industry and government attention to Smithers as a community committed to the growth of the minerals industry in BC.

Browse the Rock Room Collection

Library No.	Suite Name	Location	Collector	Rock Name	Age	Description	Cart
T10-01	Base metal veins	Silver Queen, Houston area	D Lefebure	Sphalerite-galena vein		varies from medium to fine grained; >50% sphalerite; galena, pyrite and quartz also present; one sample contains crustiform (symmetrically banded) rhodochrosite and baritein the centre of the sphalerite vein	Add Item
T9-11	Mesothermal gold veins	Vollaug vein, Table Mtn mine	D Lefebure	Altered basalt	Paleozoic	pale green; fine grained; sheared; strong pervasive carbonate alteration	Add Item
T9-10	Mesothermal gold veins	Forks vein, Dome Mtn	D Lefebure	Sericite altered andesite	Jurassic	buff colour; sheared; strong pervasive alteration to sericite with green mica; siliceous boudins	Add Item
T9-09	Mesothermal gold veins	Raven vein, Dome Mtn	D Lefebure	Sericite altered andesite	Jurassic	ivory colour; pervasive sericite alteration	Add Item
T9-08	Mesothermal gold veins	Cusac vein, Table Mtn mine	D Lefebure	Altered basalt breccia healed by quartz	Paleozoic	wallrock fragments cemented by drusy, chalcedonic quartz	Add Item
T9-07	Mesothermal gold veins	Cusac vein, Table Mtn mine	D Lefebure	Quartz-mariposite vein	Paleozoic	chalcedonic grey quartz containing disseminated green mica and 3% pyrite; cross cutting brown carbonate fracture veinlets	Add Item
T9-06	Mesothermal gold veins	Taurus mine, Cassiar	D Lefebure	Carbonate-altered basalt	Paleozoic	tan brown; pervasive carbonate alteration; 4% disseminated euhedral pyrite dodecahedrons to 0.5 cm size	Add Item
G2 05 (missing)	Mesothermal gold veins	Scottie Gold, Stewart	D Lefebure	Massive pyrrhotite vein	Jurassic		Add Item
T9-04	Mesothermal gold veins	Scottie Gold, Stewart	D Lefebure	Quartz-sulphide vein	Jurassic	5% chalcopyrite; 5% sphalerite; 5% galena	Add Item
T9-03	Mesothermal gold veins	Troutline zone, Vollaug vein, Table Mtn mine	D Lefebure	Quartz vein with carbon stylolites	Paleozoic	similar to above	Add Item
T9-02	Mesothermal gold veins	Vollaug vein, Table Mtn mine	D Lefebure	Quartz vein with carbon stylolites	Paleozoic	white quartz; crenulated carbon partings	Add Item
T9-01	Mesothermal gold veins	Vollaug vein, Table Mtn mine	D Lefebure	Fractured argillite	Paleozoic	black with green chrome mica	Add Item
T8-11	Mesothermal gold veins	Taurus mine, Cassiar	D Lefebure	Lamprophyre dike		grey; fine grained; massive; 3% mm size feldspar in felted amphibole (hornblende) matrix	Add Item
T8-10	Mesothermal gold veins	Forks vein, Dome Mtn	D Lefebure	Sericite altered andesite	Jurassic	pale colour; sheared; strong pervasive alteration to sericite, carbonate and green mica	Add Item
T8-09	Mesothermal gold veins	Raven vein, Dome Mtn	D Lefebure	Sericite altered andesite	Jurassic	ivory colour; sheared; pervasive sericite alteration with 5% wispy streaks of brown iron carbonate	Add Item
T8-08	Mesothermal gold veins	Golden Bear	D Lefebure	Quartz breccia	Paleozoic	pale, very angular chalcedonic quartz fragments in matrix of fine crystalline grey quartz with minor pyrite, arsenopyrite and many tiny vugs lined with quartz crystals	Add Item
T8-07	Mesothermal gold veins	Cusac vein, Table Mtn mine	D Lefebure	Quartz-calcite-pyrite vein	Paleozoic	coarse, white quartz-calcite vein with central zone of grey, fine-medium grained quartz-pyrite-mariposite; good evidence for two veining episodes	Add Item
T8-06	Mesothermal gold veins	Taurus mine, Cassiar	D Lefebure	Carbonate-altered basalt	Paleozoic	tan brown; pervasive carbonate alteration; 3% disseminated pyrite dodecahedrons to 0.5-1 cm size	Add Item
T8-05	Mesothermal gold veins	Scottie Gold, Stewart	D Lefebure	Massive pyrrhotite vein	Jurassic	98% pyrrhotite; 2% chalcopyrite; very weakly magnetic	Add Item
T8-04	Mesothermal gold veins	Freegold vein, Dome Mtn	D Lefebure	Sulphide banded quartz vein	Jurassic	coarse grained white quartz with pyrite, sphalerite and minor arsenopyrite	Add Item
T8-03	Mesothermal gold veins	Eileen vein, Table Mtn mine	D Lefebure	Quartz-calcite vein	Paleozoic	grey chalcedonic quartz and coarse calcite vein; wallrock fragments are angular and bleached	Add Item
T8-02	Mesothermal gold veins	Vollaug vein, Table Mtn mine	D Lefebure	Quartz vein with carbon stylolites	Paleozoic	white quartz; crenulated carbon partings	Add Item
T8-01	Mesothermal gold veins	Vollaug vein, Table Mtn mine	D Lefebure	Fractured argillite	Paleozoic	black with green chrome mica; fractures filled by quartz veins, crosscut by calcite veinlets; minor pyrite	Add Item
T7-16	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Premier, Stewart	D Lefebure	K-feldspar porphyry dike (Premier porphyry)	Jurassic	green; weakly foliated; sparse white K-feldspar phenocrysts; 20% plagioclase, obscured by calcite alteration; 5% hornblende, obscured by chlorite alteration; pervasive chlorite-carbonate alteration of groundmass; one post-ore quartz-calcite-chlorite veinlet	Add Item
F2 15 (missing)	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Mt Skukum, Yukon	D Lefebure	Tuff (welded ash flow)			Add Item
T7-14	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Specogna (Cinola, Babe) Haida Gwai	D Lefebure	Breccia with pyrite rims		disintegrating, poor quality specimen; argillite?	Add Item
T7-13	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Specogna (Cinola, Babe) Haida Gwai	D Lefebure	Siltstone with quartz vein		brown siltstone with a few black, disrupted argillaecous beds; 1 cm wide quartz vein	Add Item
T7-12	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Baker mine, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Quartz-sulphide vein	Jurassic	5-10% sulphides (pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite) and digested wallrock fragments in quartz	Add Item
T7-11	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Al prospect, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Quartz-barite vein	Jurassic	white; drusy quartz and barite; with vugs	Add Item
T7-10	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Mt Skukum, Yukon	D Lefebure	Quartz vein, wallrock breccia	Tertiary	grey volcanic wallrock fragments are somewhat rounded, appear to be milled or digested	Add Item
T7-09	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Mt Skukum, Yukon	D Lefebure	Quartz vein, altered wallrock	Tertiary	no pyrite in quartz vein	Add Item
T7-08	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Lawyers, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Brecciated rhyolite with quartz veins	Jurassic	massive, brittle, aphanitic pink rhyolite	Add Item
T7-07	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Lawyers, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Brecciated feldspar porphyry with amythest veins	Jurassic	Grade is 0.023 oz/t Au, 2.7 oz/t Ag	Add Item
T7-06	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Lawyers, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Brecciated feldspar porphyry with quartz veins	Jurassic	wallrock is crowded feldspar porphyry	Add Item
T7-05	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Lawyers, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Banded quartz vein in tuff	Jurassic	symmetrically banded, 1.5 cm chalcedonic quartz vein in pinkish-brown tuff	Add Item
T7-04	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Lawyers, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Plagioclase phyric tuff	Jurassic	staining indicates pervasive potassic alteration of groundmass; orange plagioclase phenocrysts do not respond to the stain?	Add Item
T7-03	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Lawyers, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Plagioclase phyric dacite - andesite	Jurassic		Add Item
T7-02	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Wolf prospect, Vanderhoof	D Lefebure	Quartz veins in brecciated wallrock		altered fragments; chalcedonic banding in vein quartz; multiple generations, open space, drusy	Add Item
T7-01	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Al prospect, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Clay-alunite alteration	Jurassic	white; massive; fine grained; light density; bladed crystals evident on one weathered surface	Add Item
T6-17	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Al prospect, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Quartz-barite vein	Jurassic	coarse grained; bladed barite	Add Item
T6-16	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Premier, Stewart	D Lefebure	K-feldspar porphyry dike (Premier porphyry)	Jurassic	green; weakly foliated; sparse white K-feldspar phenocrysts; 20% plagioclase, obscured by calcite alteration; 5% hornblende, obscured by chlorite alteration; pervasive chlorite-carbonate alteration of groundmass; one post-ore quartz-calcite-chlorite veinlet	Add Item
T6-15	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	JD deposit, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Andesite-dacite porphyry flow		20-15% feldspar, orange-pink colour but appears to be plagioclase; greenish matrix of pervasive chlorite(?)-clay alteration; two crystals of primary apatite are circled	Add Item
T6-14	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Specogna (Cinola, Babe) Haida Gwai	D Lefebure	Quartz-healed breccia		breccia clasts cemented by drusy quartz; siliceous clasts rimmed by 1-3 mm black rind (unknown, possibly organic) with very narrow pyrite rim on surface of black material	Add Item
T6-13	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Specogna (Cinola, Babe) Haida Gwai	D Lefebure	Quartz veins in sedimentary rock or rhyolite?		host rock is massive, no bedding, one feldspar? Crystal; minor pyrite in quartz vein	Add Item
T6-12	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Golden Stranger, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Tuff with quartz-galena vein	Jurassic	orange weathered tuff; cm wide quartz-galena vein	Add Item
F1 11 missing	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Al prospect, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Quartz-barite vein breccia	Jurassic	white; drusy quartz and barite; very pale, angular wallrock fragments are similar to vein in colour; relict casts of bladed crystal could be barite or calcite	Add Item
T6-10	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Mt Skukum, Yukon	D Lefebure	Quartz-calcite vein breccia	Tertiary	angular to indistinct pale grey wallrock fragments; fragments appear slightly bleached by reaction with ore fluid	Add Item
T6-09	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Mt Skukum, Yukon	D Lefebure	Quartz vein	Tertiary	white quartz; medium grained; trace pyrite; gold ore from Main vein	Add Item
T6-08	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Lawyers, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Brecciated rhyolite with quartz veins	Jurassic	angular fragments of brittle aphanitic rhyolite; veins tend to follow (nucleate) along rim of fragments; undetermined vein or pervasively altered material in wide area between veins	Add Item
T6-07	Epithermal Gold-Silver veins	Lawyers, Toodoggone	D Lefebure	Brecciated feldspar porphyry with amythest veins	Jurassic	similar to above but veins are purple amythest quartz	Add Item

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