carving ivory
Ivory has been used in carving and jewelry for tens of thousands of years. Carved ivory dates back, 32000 years ago and have been found in France. In 2009 in the scientific journal Nature, a 35000-year-old carving of a woman was reported as being discovered from a cave in Germany. Ivory was a very important medium in Asian culture, used in fine carvings dating back at least to Han dynasty (220 BC). In the early and mid-twentieth century, ivory was probably best known as a veneer material for piano keys, chess pieces, combs, and small figurines. Today these items are simulated using plastics or synthetics.
Jewellery that are made from ivory material has some serious drawbacks. For instance, if they are kept in a hot and dry atmosphere, they would shrink and crack. Ivory material also tends to turn yellow over times. As a tip to take care of ivory based jewellery, they should be kept away from perfume and other chemical as they will stain ivory and these marks can be difficult or impossible to remove.
Jewellery that are made from ivory material has some serious drawbacks. For instance, if they are kept in a hot and dry atmosphere, they would shrink and crack. Ivory material also tends to turn yellow over times. As a tip to take care of ivory based jewellery, they should be kept away from perfume and other chemical as they will stain ivory and these marks can be difficult or impossible to remove.
|
Chemical Formula | Calcium Phosphate |
---|---|
Color | White, creamy |
Hardness | 2-3 on the Mohs scale |
Crystal System | |
Refractive Index | 1.54 |
Cleavage |
None |
Specific Gravity (SG) |
1.7-2.0 |
Transparency |
Translucent opaque |
Fracture | Fibrous |
Reference: Gems and Gemstones timeless natural beauty of the mineral world, Lance Grande and Allison Augustyn, The University of Chicago Press