VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(CCNMatthews - May 8, 2006) - True North Gems (TSX VENTURE:TGX) is pleased to announce the successful completion of mineral processing and optic sorting test work on ruby mineralization recovered from the 2005 bulk sampling program on the Company's 110 km2 ruby property located near the village of Fiskenaesset, on the west coast of Greenland.
Through automated processing, 14,500 kg of ruby mineralization from bulk sampling was reduced to 884 kg of concentrate through Dense Media (DMS) and Magnetic Separation (MS) which was further reduced to 51.2 kg of gem plus near-gem ruby and pink sapphire through optic sorting. The measure of efficiency of the mechanized extraction method pioneered by True North Gems is the overall reduction in mass for the mini-bulk samples, varying from 99.5 to 99.8 percent across the sample suite.
True North's management sees these results as a significant development in the advancement of the Greenland ruby prospect, results that will lead to the development of a processing flow-sheet that could be applied to a commercial operation. "Optic sorting is thousands of times faster than manual sorting, and provides a measure of consistency for large-scale reproducible results that are unattainable without the equipment," said William Rohtert, True North's Chief Operating Officer. "High-speed optic sorting, in combination with the other standard extraction techniques, provides True North with the means to compete effectively against traditional ruby producers who typically work alluvial deposits in developing nations of the tropics with a large, unskilled labor force."
Additional technical detail and images of the optic sorting results are available from the Company's website at www.truenorthgems.com or at www.sedar.com.
The planning and execution of the ruby exploration and quality control programs at the Greenland ruby project are under the supervision of William Rohtert, True North's chief operating officer. Mr. Rohtert is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Rohtert also directly controls the gemmological grading and manufacturing experiments.
True North Gems Inc. is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and is engaged in the exploration and development of North American coloured gemstone prospects. The Company is a pioneer in coloured gemstone exploration and owns 100% interest in the Yukon-based Tsa da Glisza emerald property and the rights to earn 100% interest in the Baffin sapphire property located on Baffin Island and the Fiskenaesset ruby and pink sapphire property in Greenland.
The Company relies on litigation protection for "forward-looking" statements.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
True North Gems Inc.
William Rohtert
C.O.O.
(604) 687-8055 or 1-800-399-8055
True North Gems Inc.
Ken Shortt
Investor Relations
(604) 687-8055 or 1-800-399-8055
ken@truenorthgems.com
www.truenorthgems.com
