Do You Know Which Ivory Is Legal?

th ivory is an exquisitely beautiful material mediumpieces can be used for decoration purposes of knife
reaching far back into our artistically creativehandles, jewelry, various types of artworks, and each
humanistic past, and still touches us today due to theslightly larger size discovered may be made into
well preserved mammoths being excavatedNetsuke designs, piano keys, scrimshaws, gun handles
throughout Alaska and Siberia, and the traditional ivoryand so forth. For the larger ivory findings, those pieces
carving artists. For the larger ivory findings, thosewill be individually sold just as all the other variations of
pieces will be individually sold just as all the othertusks. It is in the larger pieces discovered, and that then
variations of tusks. Whale ivory is another popularthey will be carved into very thin sheets for the sales
ivory used for many kinds of carvings and especially into those with the artistic talents of water color painting
maritime scrimshaw carvings. Just as mammoth ivory,sheets.
whale ivory is one of the most perfect materials toWhale ivory is another popular ivory used for many
carve small and elegantly detailed items out of.kinds of carvings and especially in maritime scrimshaw
If your ivory is damaged by dark patches, take it to acarvings.
professional who is knowledgeable in the properWhale tooth carving has also been one of the original
polishing methods in a delicate material like ivory.materials for traditional and contemporary Japanese
Mammoth ivory is an exquisitely beautiful materialNetsuke, due to its beauty and hardness. Just as
medium reaching far back into our artistically creativemammoth ivory, whale ivory is one of the most
humanistic past, and still touches us today due to theperfect materials to carve small and elegantly detailed
well preserved mammoths being excavateditems out of.
throughout Alaska and Siberia, and the traditional ivoryIf you are the proud owner of any type of ivory,
carving artists. Most all of these highly talented artistswhether it is whale, mammoth, or elephant, proper care
have been uniquely trained by highly skilled andis very important for this delicate material. If a piece
experienced senior artists.becomes slightly yellowed from darkness, wipe it
When a mammoth is being excavated for the usagedown with a soft cloth that has been dipped in water
of its tusks ivory carvings, the tusks are rarelydiluted lemon juice. It is best to use half and half of
completely full, but instead may come in a few largeeach, and rub very gently to bring back the whiteness.
sized pieces to many smaller shaped parts. Overall,If the ivory is combined with any kind of metal, do not
there are an average amount of a ton to two tons ofget the metal wet with the lemon juice in any way. If
mammoth ivory is dug up, processed and distributedyour ivory is damaged by dark patches, take it to a
each year.professional who is knowledgeable in the proper
From the largest to the very smallest, there is nopolishing methods in a delicate material like ivory.
wastage of the salvaged ivory. Even the smallest of