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Magnus to London

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Douglas Magnus has been invited to speak at the British Museum in London …he will speak in a conference on Sunday Dec. 13…

The conference “Turquoise, Henry Christy and European Collections: an Interdisciplinary Conference”, runs from Dec 11-13.

Doug’s Presentation, “Southwest Turquoise: A View From Cerrillos Mines”, is prefaced in his own words…

“My experience draws upon my ownership of 16 mines on Turquoise Hill, in the Cerrillos District of Santa Fe County, New Mexico. Owning these historic mines has allowed me, over the past 21 years, to meet and learn from many geologists, mineralogists and archaeologists. Although I am not academically schooled, by my ownership of the mines, by my lifelong work with the mineral for use as adornment, and by my constant exposure to the examinations of the regional archeological and historical connections to my mines, I believe I have a well grounded and possibly unique perspective on the role of Turquoise in the American Southwest. The 19th and 20th Century connection with Tiffany & Company provides a particularly interesting chapter to the modern history of Turquoise usage and evaluation.

As well, my interest in the archeological Southwest and Mexico has taken me, repeatedly, to many ancient and exotic sites, from Colorado to Chichen Itza, with many artisan workshops and museums in between. I continue to be intrigued by the question of who the people were who first mined Turquoise in the Cerrillos, Little Hills, and how they might have organized and operated their mining, processing and trading. Based solely on its scale, turquoise dealing must have been a serious business.

My fascination with turquoise includes the sense of honor and obligation that comes from my temporary custody of these Cerrillos mines. For me it is an honor and a privilege to carry for the tradition of the ancient and sacred stone as respectfully as possible, both in caretaking the property and in my design and use of it. When I am at the mines or when I am crafting a stone, I feel myself in the presence of the Ancient Ones. In my power point presentation, I will be focusing on my own experiences with Turquoise in general, my personal knowledge and experiences with Native American jewelers, and an overview of how the Turquoise scene has evolved in my lifetime.”

Please join Doug in London for a weekend of discussions and explorations into the “European Collections”…

Jewelry from the McNaulty Collection

Jewelry from the McNaulty Collection, Cerrillos mines