Customer Reviews

The Allure of Turquoise

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One of New Mexico's symbols is turquoise, so it's fitting that a discussion of jewel would come from New Mexico Magazine's publishing arm. Any who wish to learn about the stone must have The Allure Of Turquoise: it appears in its second updated edition to pack color photos on every page with discussions ranging from the history of turquoise in both jewelry and Native American circles to issues surrounding its sale, authenticity and preservation. Chapters mix history and cultural and geologic insights with tips on locating authentic pieces, valuation and more: turquoise collectors will find this essential.

This is a wonderful in-depth examination of turquoise and its makers. It is somewhat scientific in the portion about the formation of the stone. There are terrific photographs and lots of information about the handling of turqoise and the art that turns it into expensive jewelry! Recommended for the turqoise lover.

This is the same review I gave to "Turquoise Unearthed"...and for all intents and purposes, they could be classified as companion volumes...both doing an exceptional job in words and images!

"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 one of my favorite references 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 Mr. Vigil for his labor of love, a compilation of articles from New Mexico Magazine...on everything from the Lowry "Turq" Museum...to the history and significance of the Cerrillos Mines...to the myth of "Old Pawn" jewelry...and much, much more!

This was a birthday gift for my husband. He loved it. He said it was the perfect present since he loves turquoise and making turquoise jewelry. It even arrived on time, gift wrapped. If you love turquoise, the color pictures are worth it. The content is very good too, my husbands states.

I found this book very thorough as far as the knowledge of the types of turquoise. But, I also found a lot of good info about traditional jewelry selling, info about fakes and treatments and historical knowledge. Gorgeous pictures.

"The Allure of Turquoise" is made up of a collection of articles on turquoise, its history and the Native American mythology surrounding this stone. I was particularly fascinated by one article about ants and their relationship with turquoise. Nevertheless, although this is an informative and interesting book, if you are looking for a guide to collecting turquoise or turquoise jewellery, I'd begin withTurquoise Unearthed: An Illustrated Guide (Rocks, Minerals and Gemstones), which focusses more on purchasing turquoise and the different types of turquoise. "The Allure of Turquoise" is a relatively short book (only 107 pages in length), but contains color pictures throughout. Be aware, however, that this book does not contain an index, a major drawback, as far as I am concerned.

L order this book because I love turquoise and make southwest designs. This book is a must for anyone who is crazy about turquoise,from where its mined,its origin(north america,mexico,orfar east)a useful book for tons of heplfull imformation right at your finger tips.Great photos and very well written one of the best books have.

Beautiful pictures and interesting, informative articles make this book a must for anyone who is allured by the beauty of turquoise. I read the book in one setting, and while it is a good place to start, I found myself wanting more information. If you collect turquoise or just wear it because you love it, do yourself a favor and get educated about vintage, pawn, and newer creations; natural stones vs. stablized stones, and even fake stones. You'll find this book helpful.

This book consists of the following articles reproduced from New Mexico Magazine:

-Exploring the miracle of turquoise
-The Allure of turquoise through the centuries
-turquoise and the native american
-young native jewlers signal changing of hte guard
-buyer beware: hidden facets of turquoise
-copycats flood the market
-the plight of old pawn
-new mexico's crown jewel shines at the turquoise museum
-jeweler strives to preserve Cerrillos mines
-ants and turquoise: a discerning relationship
-Sentimental journeys of the turquoise room
-the turquoise trail remains timeless

All these articles are informative in one way or another. For example I learnt, except at the Sleeping Beauty mine in Globe, virtually all the gem quality turquoise has been mined out of Arizona for at least a generation and most of what is sold today comes from China. The book provides "buyer beware" sections that a novice does well to read. This seems to be a hard book to obtain now, but as an introduction to the intricacies of the modern American turquoise trade it's a great starting point though I have to say that the last two articles aren't as informative or interesting as those which preceed them.