by 
Anonymous
ANSWERS: 4
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Identification of ivory is not too easy to tell visually as some of the composite modern alternatives look very similar. A web site dealing with ivory identification can be found here - http://www.uniclectica.com/conserva/ivory1.html Though this concerns itself with different types as opposed to what is it? However, regardless of the appearance most ivory substitutes share common characteristics when ultraviolet light is shined on them. They tend to absorb the light and exhibit a dull blue appearance. Ivory on the other hand has a white/blue fluourescent appearance. I believe there are tables and standards with long wave UV readings somewhere which can identify bone, ivory, shell and manufactured substitutes, but I have no data on that. TheKeeper
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Hi, I worked in a world class museum in the Ethnology Conservation Lab and I can tell you one basic novice hands on method. Real organic material such as bone has a somewhat "cold" feeling to it when you handle it by your bare hands versus a synthetic material such as fake ivory which just feels like the temperature of the surroundings or like nothing noticeable. Beware of buying Ivory trinkets from shopowners who are placeing objects directly under a light/or in sunlight which produces heat, therefore they could tell you that the reason the ivory feels "warm" is due to the lamp and not because it's really "fake".
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Thank You ..very helpfull ..
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Touch and visual
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