The bottom third of each elephant tusk is embedded within the skull of the animal. This part is actually a pulpy cavity that contains nerves, tissue and blood vessels. However, it too is ivory. The only way a tusk can be removed without killing the animal is if the animal sheds the tooth on its own.

Tooth enamel

They are made up of stuff similar to human teeth The visible, ivory part is made up of extremely dense dentin, which is also found in our teeth. While humans have the option of visiting a dentist to replace missing teeth, elephants sadly, do not, which brings us to our next point.

The test consists of heating up the point of a needle until it’s red-hot and then pricking what you believe is your ivory carving. If the needle goes in, it’s plastic; if not, it’s probably ivory, or at least bone.

That’s a lot of money in most African countries. But the big profit is made in Asia. Thai Customs recently evaluated smuggled ivory as being worth $1,800 per kilogram—$18,000 per elephant—wholesale. The “street value” retail price of 10 kilograms of carved ivory now runs about $60,000.

Yup, ivory is very yellowish in colour. If you turn it over to the bottom and you see little crosshatches, it’s a tell-tale sign of ivory. Tagua nut or vegetable ivory was often used for chess sets and is a little whiter.

When found, the hoard contained 93 artifacts: 78 chess pieces, 14 tablemen and one belt buckle….

The Mammoth Ivory Collector Series Luxury Chess Set – 4.4″ King (12,995$)

1. Chess Armory Wooden Chess Set. Our best “all-purpose pick,” this Chess Armory wooden set is made from quality inlaid walnut, with handcrafted Staunton-style chess pieces (Staunton being the classic chessmen you’re probably used to seeing).

Look to see if there is a signature or brand emblem on the chess piece set. A good place to check would be under the chessboard or beneath the chess pieces. It could range from a symbol to an actual signature.