Chrysocolla hydrous Cu silicate

The Queen Victoria mine is located about 11 kilometres west of Nelson. The deposit was discovered in 1890, production was first recorded in 1907 and continued sporadically until 1956.

The area is underlain by sediments of the Lower Jurassic Ymir Group, Jurassic diorite, meta-diorite and pyroxenite of unknown affinity (Unit Jp) and granodiorite of the Middle to Late Jurassic Nelson batholith (Open File 1991-16).

A zone of quartz-carbonate rich skarn, approximately 120 to 150 metres long by 30 metres wide and pinching to 3 metres at each end, strikes about 015 degrees with a 20 degree east dip. The skarn is hosted by limestone, dark grey quartzites and argillites of the Ymir Group at and near the contact with granodiorite.

The skarn is characterized by irregular bands of garnet, epidote and actinolite with minor disseminated, fine-grained magnetite and pyrrhotite alternating with bands of quartzite and schist. The bands vary from several centimetres to 15 metres or more in width and have been developed along strike for about 151 metres. Relatively thin layers of dark green amphibolite and blocky feldspar porphyry are observed in the footwall and blocky fine-grained greenish quartzites are in the hanging wall.

Mineralization consists of disseminated grains and irregular clusters of chalcopyrite and pyrite with minor bornite. The sulphide zones are highly irregular with no distinct boundaries. Folds in the hanging wall to the east of the zone have axes that plunge 10 degrees northeast. Small faults and feldspar porphyry dykes crosscut the skarn and host sediments.

Production totals 45,352 tonnes, recovering 7,651 grams of gold, 950,010 grams of silver and 672,630 kilograms of copper. The ore also contained traces of nickel and cobalt.

Work in 1966 delineated a second skarn about 0.8 kilometre west of the original open pit.

The original discovery was made here in 1890 and mining was carried on intermittently between that time and 1918. The workings were mainly open glory holes and these are still accessible.

Following the closing of the mine in 1918, little work was done on the property until 1955. In that year some diamond drilling was done. In the latter part of 1956 the Finley Company of Reno, Nevada, obtained an option. A few thousand tons of material was broken for mill feed but no regular mining program evolved.

In 1956, Swift Copper Mines Limited acquired 18 mining claims covering the property and in addition acquired a complete mill rated at 200 to 300 tons, located about 11.2 kilometres from the mining property.

Development in 1960 consisted of mapping, stripping, sampling, and other surface work, including a limited amount of Packsack drilling.

During 1961 a zone about 152 metres long was stripped by bulldozer and two old adits uncovered. In 1962 the Great West Mining Corporation Ltd. of Vancouver put down twelve diamond-drill holes, six in the vicinity of the workings, and six in a group about 610 metres west-southwest of the workings. Four holes of the latter group intersected a body of skarn about 12 metres thick mineralized with chalcopyrite and pyrite.