Featured Ivory Bracelet - Mammoth or Elephant?

I picked up this bracelet before realizing it is/might be ivory (it is, right???); I was pretty sure it wasn't plastic but it had some discolored areas and interesting patterning in places. I was thinking some type of bone maybe. I know that there is a ban on selling elephant ivory, but I continued to research it wondering if I could date it somehow. I ran across mammoth ivory and am now wondering if it might actually be mammoth? Is anyone familiar enough with ivory to differentiate? It depends on the angle of the Schreger lines but I'm not confident in my ability to judge this. Hopefully my pics are clear enough. The inside diameter of the bracelet is 3"; it is 1" wide and it weighs a little more than 70 grams...it is a hefty piece! Thanks for looking and your input on this!

 

Hi,
I think it is ivory due to the Schreger lines.
greg

 

i say ivory...

 

Thanks GG and Komo, I thought so too! Now, if it's mammoth ivory, it is sellable I believe; if elephant it's definitely not.

 

Alas, elephant ivory.

 

Schraeger.

 

Darn...

 

Weena, where do you live? Ivory is only banned for sale in six states and there is a federal interstate sales "ban". As far as Schreger lines go, I doubt the photo is clear enough to see the difference of 6 degrees between elephant and mammoth ivory.

 

Good luck with proving it was imported before 1990:

https://www.fws.gov/international/travel-and-trade/ivory-ban-questions-and-answers.html

 

Thanks OBB and Hollyblue. I did read that ivory Q and A. I obviously don't have any supporting documentation and so wouldn't be able to sell it even in-state. I wonder if a jeweler could make a positive ID?

 

I can understand the confusion, with Jaeger, etc, but as Greg said, Schreger:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schreger_line

 

It might be worth someone holding it in their hand, as they say. They'd need to give you a written statement, which might cost.

 

When I returned to work at a major dept store, after maternity leave. I was stuck in costume jewelry. That would have been 1986. Ivory necklaces, earrings and bracelets just like you have were being sold then.

I expect it is pre 1990. Proving it will be a problem.
Here in CA you can't sell in public a public offering - as in a retail setting. However, passing it to family members, or private party sales I believe is ok.

 

Same here in Connecticut. You can't sell it easily, and it does require provenance. I only buy ivory if I know a friend wants a particular piece and can offload it privately. If you can't prove it's antique, say with British gold or sterling marks on a piece of jewelry, it's a (pardon this) white elephant.

 

while mammoth ivory can be pretty white, this bangle looks too clean and recent to be fossilized ..

 

I agree, komo. Too clean for old ivory, too.

 

Old Ivory is typically more yellowed. It's a pretty piece. I wish I was closer to be your offloading friend lol.

 

Here is an example of old Victorian era ivory that I have. Note the larger piece is more yellow, not sure what it is though, elephant or ???? The pendant I got about 13-15 years ago.

 

White ivory yellows when kept in the dark for a long time, like jewellery in boxes. I try to keep the antique pieces that were still whitish when I got them on display so they don't yellow. Here is my signed Tomokazu (late 18th- early 19th century) ivory baku netsuke from another thread again, still whitish:

 

Nice! I only have a few small bits in my personal stash, and nothing that old. The only one I wear once in a while is a scallop shell pendant.