Indian Mountain Turquoise: Field Guide to a Lander County Rediscovery
Part of the Turquoise Mines field guides and The Southwest Jewelry Guide.
Joe Dan and Joe P. Lowry’s 2010 book records the rediscovery of the Indian Mountain deposit in Nevada in 1970. Every statement below is quoted or paraphrased from that book, with page numbers, so you can check each one. The book was published in 2010; anything described as current describes 2010.
What Lowry recorded
Lowry (2010) on its rediscovery:
“This prehistoric site and its deposits were rediscovered in 1970 when a Shoshone sheepherder stumbled upon a vein of turquoise along the south hillside while tending his sheep.”
— Lowry (2010), p. 235 [1]
Lowry (2002, p. 67) tells the same story of the 1970 find by a Shoshone sheepherder. [5]
According to Lowry (2010, p. 235), the Dan, Edgar and Mauzy families, with Bob Burton, then mined and marketed rough and cabochons from the site, which lies about forty-six miles southwest of Crescent Valley on the south slope of Bald Mountain; the claims were also sold as Blue Jay 1, 2 and 3. [1]
According to Lowry (2010, p. 227), Indian Mountain turquoise has been sold as Lander Blue because of the two stones' similar look. [1]
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How this page is sourced. We strive for accuracy: every factual statement above is quoted from or credited to the printed work listed below, with page numbers, and this page is continuously updated with new information as we read more of our library. See something we should correct? Contact us.
From the Library: Schiffer, Turquoise Jewelry (2008)
2008 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2008, not today.
Schiffer (2008, p. 41) illustrated a Navajo ring set with a long oval of Indian Mountain turquoise with grey matrix, 1976. [2]
Schiffer (2008, p. 49) described Indian Mountain turquoise with a brown/gold matrix on a 1970s belt. [2]
From the Library: Bassman, The Beauty of Navajo Jewelry (1997)
1997 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1997, not today.
Bassman (1997, p. 32) pictured a repoussé and stamped pin with an Indian Mountain turquoise stone by Edison Smith. [3]
Bassman (1997, p. 39) pictured a stampwork ring with an Indian Mountain turquoise stone by Patrick Taylor. [3]
From the Library: Ryan & Chambless, Turquoise in America Part Two: 1910–1990 (2020)
2020 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2020, not today.
According to Ryan & Chambless (2020, p. 213), the accepted anecdotal history holds that a Shoshone man found Indian Mountain while herding sheep in the 1970s and that J. W. Edgar and his son-in-law Eddie Mauzy later mined it. [4]
Ryan & Chambless (2020) question that story:
“Fact is often a challenge to uncover. Of all the places in Crescent Valley to herd sheep, Indian Mountain, which is on Bald Mountain, is least likely due to its challenging aspects like accessibility and weather.”
— Ryan & Chambless (2020), p. 213 [4]
According to Ryan & Chambless (2020, p. 213), Bald Mountain is in the northern Toiyabe range, east of Red Mountain across the northern end of Grass Valley and the southern end of Crescent Valley. [4]
According to Ryan & Chambless (2020, p. 213), Lander County mining records show the first location by Richard and Elizabeth Dann in 2001, although Danny Lopacki remembered visiting the mine in 1983 or 1984 with Lee Louden and seeing turquoise on the ground. [4]
From the Library: Lowry, Turquoise Unearthed: An Illustrated Guide (2002)
2002 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2002, not today.
Writing in 2002, Lowry (2002) placed it among the modern mines:
“The best known of the contemporary mines originally discovered by a Native American.”
— Lowry (2002), p. 67 [5]
According to Lowry (2002, p. 67), Eddy Mauzy and his family mined and marketed Indian Mountain turquoise to top Southwest Indian artisans, and jewelry set with it was first featured prominently in Arizona Highways magazine in the late 1970s. [5]
Field Notes by Mateo James
Lowry tells the sheepherder story as the mine's rediscovery in 1970. Ryan & Chambless (2020) call it anecdotal, doubt that anyone would herd sheep on that difficult ground, and find the first recorded location only in 2001. They do not say who did find it, so the question stays open. Where they disagree with Lowry, I tend to side with Ryan & Chambless.
Sources
- Lowry, Joe Dan, and Joe P. Lowry. Turquoise: The World Story of a Fascinating Gemstone. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith, 2010. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2010.
- Schiffer, Nancy N. Turquoise Jewelry. Revised 4th ed. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2008. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2008.
- Bassman, Theda. The Beauty of Navajo Jewelry. Photography by Gene Balzer. Walnut, California: Kiva Publishing, 1997. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1997.
- Ryan, Mike, II, and Philip Chambless. Turquoise in America, Part Two: 1910–1990. Callais Press, 2020. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2020.
- Lowry, Joe Dan, and Joe P. Lowry. Turquoise Unearthed: An Illustrated Guide. Photography by Mark Nohl. Tucson, AZ: Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2002. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2002.