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by Anonymous on June 4th, 2006

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How can I tell if something is made of ivory?

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Answers. 4 helpful answers below.

  • by freehartz on July 23rd, 2006

    freehartz

    Hi, I worked in a world class museum in the Ethnology Conservation Lab and I can tell you one basic novice hands on method. Real organic material such as bone has a somewhat "cold" feeling to it when you handle it by your bare hands versus a synthetic material such as fake ivory which just feels like the temperature of the surroundings or like nothing noticeable. Beware of buying Ivory trinkets from shopowners who are placeing objects directly under a light/or in sunlight which produces heat, therefore they could tell you that the reason the ivory feels "warm" is due to the lamp and not because it's really "fake".

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  • by TheKeeper on July 7th, 2006

    TheKeeper

    Identification of ivory is not too easy to tell visually as some of the composite modern alternatives look very similar.
    A web site dealing with ivory identification can be found here - http://www.uniclectica.com/conserva/ivory1.html
    Though this concerns itself with different types as opposed to what is it?

    However, regardless of the appearance most ivory substitutes share common characteristics when ultraviolet light is shined on them. They tend to absorb the light and exhibit a dull blue appearance. Ivory on the other hand has a white/blue fluourescent appearance.

    I believe there are tables and standards with long wave UV readings somewhere which can identify bone, ivory, shell and manufactured substitutes, but I have no data on that.

    TheKeeper

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  • by pattie on March 22nd, 2007

    pattie

    Thank You ..very helpfull ..

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  • by Jamie_G9287 on May 22nd, 2012

    Jamie_G9287

    to tell if something is ivory or not you need to get a hot pin and stick in to the object.If it goes through its plastic if not its ivory.Or you could rub along your teeth and if the object has a grain then its actual ivory from a elephant, Mammoth etc .. Y ou get a high price for ivory nowdays

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