Title: Identifying Different Types of Ivory
Headings: Identifying Different Types of Ivory
Identifying Different Types of Ivory
Part of the Uniclectica Antiques and Collectibles Online Series "Caring For Your Antiques and Collectibles"
Books Dealing with the Identification of Ivory

Content: Unlike bone, ivory has no blood vessel system, and is therefore more dense. The most commonly found ivories in North America come from elephant, walrus, sperm whale, and hornbill. It is possible to tell these ivories apart, as they are structurally different. 1. Elephant Ivory
This category includes ivory from both Indian and African elephants, as well as ivory from mammoths and mastodon. The tusks, or upper incisors, of these animals are used. They can have a cross section of up to 20cm (8"), and be up to 2.5m (almost 3 yards) long. They are oval in cross section, and are made up of a hard, dense tissue called dentin, which is made up of 70% inorganic material, and 30% collagen. Unlike human teeth, elephant tusks do not have an enamel coating. They do have a cementum layer, however;