Jewelry always strikes as something that is considered something expensive or valuable. Call it the material or anything, jewelry can really set your look so you always need to be careful with what you plan to pair your dress with.
Speaking of jewelry materials, Ivory is a popular one for a lot of reasons. It is cream colored hard material that is extracted from an elephant’s trunk.
This material has a long and rich history in jewelry making and other accessories loved by people in every era. The accessories made from this material look stylish, chic, and classy and are a must for people who are big about looking a fabulous part effortlessly.
Ivory has always been admired for aesthetic and practical reasons who love to wear jewelry made out of it. This material is actually much harder and more difficult to break than wood or bone.
So this won’t ever chip or crack over time even after years of usage. These qualities make it the perfect material to make accessories and jewelry and it looks beautiful as well.
But here is a thing, since this material is acquired from an elephant’s trunk, it is expensive too. Elephants are almost on the verge of extinction now but when they were not in the early times, it was not easy to hunt down and get some ivory out of it.
And with people who love to shop, something exclusive and exotic is always more desirable than anything. And for the longest time in history, ivory was one of the materials that were used to exchange gifts between royal families and people of high stature.
In some parts of Asia, it is a tradition to give ivory bangles and jewelry to daughters at their weddings. This jewelry is quite popular in West Bengal, India, and many other Asian countries.
The colors of this material range from off-white to yellow and brownish color. So you would see a lot of different color variations in this kind of jewelry if you are looking for ivory pieces.
Since it is becoming more difficult to acquire ivory these days, there are certain replacements for it. Animals with a hard nut are being used as a replacement but at the same time, the size limit does make it difficult to create variations in jewelry.
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How Much Is Ivory Worth?
Ivory has always been expensive and rare for that matter. In 2017, according to the Ivory trade reports, the total cost of this one was 3.7 billion dollars which are not easy to keep up with people living on a budget.
As of now in 2022, the per kg price of ivory is 689 dollars and that is still not affordable at all. A single pound of this material is being sold for 3,300 dollars at the moment.
Can You Sell Old Ivory Jewelry?
As of 2016, according to the National Strategy on Wildlife Trafficking law, it is considered illegal to sell jewelry made out of this material but again there are exceptions to it. There is an exception for antique ivory jewelry that can be sold.
But the jewelry should be sold within the person’s state and not anywhere else.
Is It Illegal To Own Ivory Jewelry?
Yes, it is legal to own ivory jewelry if it has been passed down to you by your family and obviously that would be considered antique in that case. It is important to know that your ivory jewelry should be certified and registered and if it is an antique then you can only buy and sell it within your state.
How You Can Tell If Ivory Is Real?
You can always tell and identify ivory by looking at it since it has a less smooth surface. If you come across a piece of ivory jewelry and it is super smooth that is actually plastic and not ivory.
Ivory has a very slight yellow tint to it so that definitely is an identifier of the material. Ivory also tends to give a very cool feeling upon touching and that also separates it from the rest of the jewelry materials.
Many people who have ivory jewelry keep it and cherish it since for most it is passed down from their ancestors and is more like a family heirloom. So should you be buying it? Definitely not since the source of it is on the verge of extinction and if you are just looking for an antique that is not doing any further harm, then why not.
