Product Description

In the American Southwest, turquoise is a highly prized gemstone with great cultural significance. Author Joe Dan Lowry is recognized worldwide as a leading expert on the subject, and Turquoise Unearthed: An Illustrated Guide is the definitive resource for rock hounds and serious collectors alike. Lowry describes the fascinating history of turquoise mining in the American Southwest and reveals the astonishing variety of colors and forms that make this a gemstone like no other. Among Native American peoples of the Southwest, turquoise is especially prized, with blue stones symbolizing "Father Sky" and greener ones evoking "Mother Earth." This lavishly illustrated volume also features some of the finest examples of antique and contemporary Southwest Indian turquoise jewelry. 70 color photographs and illustrations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #159320 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 80 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781887896337
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Joe Dan Lowry's family has been at the center of the turquoise trade for three generations. He owns and operates the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which boasts the most extensive collection of turquoise in the world.

Customer Reviews

Should be required reading for turquoise lovers...
This compact little book is jammed solid with luscious pictures of tuquoise and to-the-point information. The topics discussed range from the technique of inlays to the various methods turquoise is altered on the modern market - from 'stabilizing' to 'color enhancing'.

The heart of the book, which is sure to captivate rock hounds and bead/jewelry designers (I fall into both camps) is the pictorial review of the major American mines. You'll be able to see at a glance the difference between the pale greens of King Manassas and the blackberry-like beauty of Lander Blue.

Oh, and if you're planning a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, the author's Turquoise Museum is probably the best-kept tourist secret around. Highly recommended.

For those who THINK they know everything about Turquoise...
I have been a gem and mineral dealer for over ten years...and a rockhound for a lot longer than that...but this book taught me more in a single sitting than all my years in the buisiness and in the hobby.

I have dug, traded, bought and sold a whole bunch of "Turq"...natural, treated and "color-shot"...and this book instantly became my favorite reference for the rest of my life.

If you are planning on investing in real American or Persian turquoise jewelry or stones...and it is an investment...then this book is a "Must Have!"

No sooner did I put this book down than I called up one of my suppliers and bought all of the Blue Gem and Turquoise Mountain stones they had left in stock...I am sure they are wondering what precipitated that call!

My many thanks to the Lowry family for their labor of love...from the "Turq" Museum to this book...and I hope we cross paths real soon.

ALL YOU EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT TURQUOISE
THIS BOOK OFFERS ALL THE INFORMATION YOU WILL EVER NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TURQUOISE. I LOVE BROWSING THROUGH IT AND KEEP IT ON MY COFFEE TABLE. ANYONE WHO HAS A LOVE OR DESIRES A KNOWLEDGE OF TURQUOISE WILL ENJOY THIS BOOK. A MUST FOR THE COLLECTOR!! YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN BUY A PIECE OF TURQUOISE WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE IT ORIGINATED FROM.