Can ivory be appraised?

As an appraiser, you will likely handle ivory items that qualify as ESA/Antique. This means that the item is over 100 years old, has not been repaired with newer animal or plant material since 1973, and entered the United States before 1982 or through a designated port with proper paperwork.

Is real ivory worth anything?

The price currently paid for raw ivory is between $597 per kg and $689 per kg. Meanwhile, a single pound of ivory can sell for $3,300 and $200 an ounce.

Does old ivory have value?

The value of antique ivory held in the U.S. is unclear. One survey of ivory dealers and collectors placed it at nearly $12 billion, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which regulates the U.S. ivory trade, says it's less than one percent of that—about $100 million.

Can I sell a piece of ivory?

First, the rules DO NOT make it illegal to own or inherit ivory. Second, if you can't prove it's old, it is no longer legal to buy or sell a piece of ivory in the US.

How can I tell if its real ivory?

The test consists of heating up the point of a needle until it's red-hot and then pricking what you believe is your ivory carving. If the needle goes in, it's plastic; if not, it's probably ivory, or at least bone.

Ivory Appraisal

What is ivory worth?

That's a lot of money in most African countries. But the big profit is made in Asia. Thai Customs recently evaluated smuggled ivory as being worth $1,800 per kilogram—$18,000 per elephant—wholesale. The “street value” retail price of 10 kilograms of carved ivory now runs about $60,000.

Is it illegal to sell antique ivory?

The State of California Department of Fish and Game is ACTIVELY raiding auction houses and antique shows, confiscating ivory. It is now illegal to sell or have the intent to sell ANY IVORY within the State of California or to sell it to any bidders within the State of California REGARDLESS OF THE AGE of the ivory.

Can you sell antique ivory on eBay?

However, due to the unique nature of eBay's global online marketplace and the growing complexity of the rules and regulations surrounding the sale of ivory, we decided to roll out a complete ban of the sale of ivory on eBay to protect our buyers, sellers, and the endangered and protected species from which ivory is ...

Is ivory illegal to sell in the US?

A. The new U.S. ivory ban will legally close most ivory trade in the U.S. to protect elephants. It essentially prohibits all commercial import, export, and interstate trade of African elephant ivory with some narrow exceptions.

What is ivory worth per pound?

Currently going for about $3,300 per pound, the global trade in ivory is worth about $23 billion annually, a reality made plain by the gruesome photos of butchered elephants that have become almost commonplace.

What color is antique ivory?

ANTIQUE WHITE COLOR TREND

Ivory, off-white and cream are often used interchangeably to describe the same soft hue. The subtle warmth makes it a friendly companion to other warm neutrals, such as brown, tan and beige.

What makes ivory so valuable?

Q: What makes ivory so precious? It has no intrinsic value, but its cultural uses make ivory highly prized. In Africa, it has been a status symbol for millennia because it comes from elephants, a highly respected animal, and because it is fairly easy to carve into works of art.

Does real ivory turn yellow?

Over time, ivory darkens and/or turns yellow in color and develops surface coloring called a patina. This change is color is an indicator if its age and thus affects the value of the piece and should not be removed. If a cleaner is applied and the coloring is altered, you risk losing the value.

Is ivory worth more than gold?

Newfound wealth in countries like China, Vietnam and Thailand is fueling demand for luxury items including rhino horns and ivory, causing prices to skyrocket. Now, pound for pound, the dense white stuff is worth more than gold.

Is it illegal to buy ivory?

California, Nevada, Oregon, Hawaii, New York, New Jersey and Washington are the only US states that entirely prohibit the sale of ivory to deter the slaughter of elephants and other wildlife for their tusks and teeth.

Who buys ivory products?

GlobeScan spent eight months conducting surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus groups in the five countries in which demand for ivory is known to be concentrated: China, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the United States.

How can you tell the difference between ivory and bone carvings?

The main structural difference between the two is that ivory has no marrow or blood vessel system. It is essentially tooth material. It is usually whiter, harder, denser, and heavier than bone.

What states is it illegal to own ivory?

Four states have specific laws banning certain transfers of ivory or rhinoceros horn: California, New Jersey, New York, and Washington.

What states ban ivory sales?

Three U.S. states—New York, New Jersey and California—have passed legislation banning intrastate ivory trade.

Can you sell fossil ivory?

and Proposed Legislation. Because of the poaching of African Elephants, many countries have banned the import of modern Ivory. Smugglers have been marking shipments of modern ivory as fossil ivory to get it past customs.

What is illegal ivory used for?

People also have been known to use ivory to bribe government officials, because it is rarer than money or gold. Some seek out elephant ivory products for spiritual reasons, believing a bangle or pendant can protect its wearer from harm or bad luck.

Where is ivory legal?

However, many countries – including the UK, US, Thailand and Japan – have domestic markets where it is legal to buy and sell ivory certified as antique or coming from legal stockpiles.

What is an ivory tusk worth?

Poachers are now slaughtering up to 35,000 of the estimated 500,000 African elephants every year for their tusks. A single male elephant's two tusks can weigh more than 250 pounds, with a pound of ivory fetching as much as $1,500 on the black market.