We’ve got experts. Q: What makes ivory so precious? It has no intrinsic value, but its cultural uses make ivory highly prized. In Africa, it has been a status symbol for millennia because it comes from elephants, a highly respected animal, and because it is fairly easy to carve into works of art.

If you describe someone as living in an ivory tower, you mean that they have no knowledge or experience of the practical problems of everyday life.

Ivory is a hard, white substance found in the tusks of animals such as elephants. Ivory also refers to a white-ish color, like the ivory keys on a piano. One of the most prized animal products is ivory, which comes from the tusks of elephants and walruses.

Ivory Origin and Meaning The name Ivory is a girl’s name of English origin meaning “pale, white”. Ivory was last popular a hundred years ago.

Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally elephants’) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is the same, regardless of the species of origin.

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.

Do other animals have ivory? Only elephant tusks have a cross-hatch pattern when viewed in cross-section, and the term ivory is generally only applied to this material. Rhino horns are made from keratin, the same substance that is found in human hair and fingernails.

Hunting for Ivory Ivory poaching for tusks is the main reason that elephants have been so heavily hunted. Elephant ivory has been used in huge amounts to make billiards balls, piano keys, identification chops and many other items for human enjoyment.

There is a nerve that runs well down the length of an elephant’s tusk. Cutting the tusk off would be painful, similar to you breaking a tooth. Remember that an elephant tusk is a modified incisor. Cutting beyond the nerve would still leave a third of the tusk in place.

China

Elephant Tusks Worth Almost Half a Million Dollars Seized At Bangkok Airport. Gigantic elephant tusks worth more than $450,000 were seized by Thai officials. Airport authorities in Bangkok flagged the cargo and found 326 pounds-worth of African elephant ivory, according to The Associated Press.

It’s important to understand that simply possessing ivory you already own is not illegal, nor is passing it on to your heirs. Preexisting items manufactured with ivory such as musical instruments used in orchestras, furniture and items such as firearms containing fewer than 200 grams are exempt.

Can Estate Ivory Items Be Sold Within State Lines? If it’s allowed in your state, maybe, but you’ll also have to meet federal requirements. As of the time of this writing, New York, New Jersey, Washington State, California and Hawaii for example PROHIBIT the sale of ivory completely.

Under normal circumstances, genuine ivory (with no or little patina) should appear white under long wave black light and genuine ivory always has grain. Elephant ivory always has Schreger Lines, a cross hatch pattern, when seen in cross section.

Handle ivory with white cotton gloves. If these are not available, wash your hands first with soap and water to remove hand oils and dirt. The best protection for an ivory object is a carefully controlled environment, both in terms of telative humidity (RH) and temperature.

The discoloration and yellowing of your piano keys is inevitable. Indirect sunlight after a cleaning can help prevent white piano keys from yellowing. Beware: Plastic keyboard keys will become discolored if exposed to sunlight, so always keep them covered when not in use.

The American piano industry voluntarily abandoned ivory as a key-covering material and switched to plastic in the mid-1950s. By the 1980s, European makers had taken the same path.

Plastic keys are opposite of ivory keys, meaning you can use gentle cleaning solutions to whiten the keys. One of the easiest methods is to mix a couple of drops of dish soap into a damp white washcloth and wipe the keys down with a soft cloth, from top to bottom and not side to side.