Ivory or bone ?

[mariusgmioc]

In this case, I find the lines to be too strongly visible so I suspect it is not genuine ivory. But it is very hard to say from only a photo. Maybe Thinreadline can provide more close-up photos?!


Also please note that all British silversmiths used to mark their products with a mark indicating the year of manufacture.

Check it out to see what year was yours made.

http://www.925-1000.com/british_marks.html

http://www.925-1000.com/dlc_sheffield.html

[thinreadline]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

In this case, I find the lines to be too strongly visible so I suspect it is not genuine ivory. But it is very hard to say from only a photo. Maybe Thinreadline can provide more close-up photos?!


Also please note that all British silversmiths used to mark their products with a mark indicating the year of manufacture.

Check it out to see what year was yours made.

http://www.925-1000.com/british_marks.html

http://www.925-1000.com/dlc_sheffield.html

Yes I do say it 1s 1886 hallmarked

[Hotspur]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

Hello Hotspur,

I tried the hot needle on ivory, bone and some sort of fake ivory and NONE of them was affected in any way. So I can say this is definitely a more anecdotal than a working and reliable test.

Second, when polishing bone and ivory, I noticed they smell very similarly, like the dentist drilling a tooth, so the smell test can also be very misleading.

So I believe the most reliable way to identify ivory is by examining its structure under a magnifying glass.

I was thinking about some different materials, you are quite correct. Call it a brain cramp.

I did recently scrape some material and torched the bits and it did smell like a visit to the dentist. That was on a painted ray handle.

Cheers

GC

[Silver Shield]

Being a new member to this wonderful forum , I am not sure of all the information that has been written about Ivory. I have also forgotten all the technical terms , for being old and well worn .But in looking at elephant Ivory , I have always on all samples , I have seen ,not only these lines but also a crosshatch pattern , however faint . Bone nor walrus tusk ect does not have this . And bone , Ivory and most early composits will crack , due to dehydration ect or pressure of course.
I my library I had before my dear Ex sold off for pennies , I had the original manuscript , circa 1900 of the famous frozen Mammoth, that it was said at the time the expedition members cooked and ate some , UNTRUE. But one fact that struck me was that huge amounts of fossil Ivory was mined in Siberia , still at the time , 100s of tonnes per year. Most Ivory used in Europe before this time ( being pre 1900) and I cannot remember what centuries they talked about in all , was fossil Ivory , I mean in the 1600s ect AFRICA was wild and dangerous , and fossil Ivory seemingly in the Siberian tundra was plentiful . I have handled a lot of fossil Ivory and some comments on red , brownish, black coloration is indicative of mineralization seen in fossil Ivory , not such as African or Asian Ivory. Ivory is really tough stuff as seen by the use of fossil Ivory about 10,000 years or older and does not readily mineralize , as it takes decades to get a patina, usually only a tea color , like that of new items faked as old and colored with tea .
I hope this is informative if not only a few words

[Hotspur]

Uhuh

[Silver Shield]

It is put in a somewhat unconcise manner , but no frozen Mastodon flesh or Woolly Mammoths had been eatable since the first Winter in which it froze or there about , but in the field of Vertebrate Paleontology it has been know and published since about 1900 that the best preserved specimens the flesh was "jello" like , even the dogs would not eat it . All these tales where untrue , and only belongs in Fables and Children's Books, much like Snakes guarding the pepper plants in India . I mean try putting a beef roast in the freezer for a year , take out and defrost almost all the way and freeze for another year ect.. for 8,000 to 10,000 years . Also the Ivory of the Mammoth was harvested and used , their tusks where Curved but large in size and where used too , not just Mastodon, I think there was much more Mammoth than Mastodon, you hear every now and again about a new find in Siberia , and its always a Mammoth . Still in the early 1900s at least 100s of tonnes came out of Siberia every year . Seems to be a writers habit of publishing second hand information and perpetuation of Folk Tales .Ive handled some of these tusks my self , incredible condition, and I have worked with Fossil Ivory and its as good as Recent stock , but tends to be a light tan usually .

[Hotspur]

Well, the crux of the published article above was the sourcing of old ivory from Siberia. Exclude all the folk tales and what is left? Most I think equate mastadon with mammoth and I think you are spot on about authors repeating other published work. Still, we have an old ivory trade in the 18th and 19th century. I posted the page mostly for the influence of trade due to the treaty.

Cheers

GC