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Mammoth Ivory
 

	Mammoth Ivory is the ivory tusks of the now extinct Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus Primigenus also known as the Mastodon). More than 10,000 years old, Mammoth Ivory is extremely rare and not generally available.
	Mammoth Ivory has been found in Europe, North America and Asia since the end of the last ice age. The Woolly Mammoth roamed across the land bridge between Siberia and Alaska during the ice age when parts of Alaska and the Yukon in Canada were free of ice.
	Mammoth Ivory carvings estimated to be about 30,000 years old have been found in French caves.

Buried by glaciers during the last ice age, Mammoth Ivory has taken on its beautiful patterns and colors by absorbing minerals from the artic soil. The colors seen include tan, light brown, orange, golden brown, and chocolate brown to even black; occasionally a blue or green color is also seen. The outside bark is sometimes very colorful as it was in direct contact with minerals in the soil and the elements.
 

Mammoth Ivory is not truly fossilized in the sense that the ivory has been replaced with minerals or stone; it is really just beginning to become mineralized. It is in the earliest stages of fossilization and is just slightly harder than fresh elephant ivory.
 

Mammoth Ivory makes an extraordinary and ethical alternative to protected elephant ivory. With the International trade in elephant ivory almost eliminated (ivory from certain endangered animals is prohibited and regulated under the Endangered Species Act of 1973), trade in Mammoth Ivory has emerged as the preferred alternative in the international market. As a prehistoric ivory, Mammoth Ivory is exempt from the Endangered Species Act since there are no living examples and no questions as to how it was obtained.
 

Mammoth Ivory occasionally displays intrusive brownish or blue-green colored blemishes caused by an iron phosphate called “Vivianite”. Elephant ivory does not display intrusive “Vivianite” discoloration in its natural state. When the discoloration is barely perceptible to the eye, the use of a hand-held ultraviolet light source causes the blemished area to stand out with a dramatic purple velvet-like appearance. Even if discolored, elephant ivory will not have the characteristic fluorescence of “Vivianite”. Mammoth Ivory also has a distinctive triangular cross hair pattern when viewed in a cross section. This distinctive pattern in combination with tests for “Vivianite” and hardness allows Customs and Wildlife inspectors to easily identify Mammoth Ivory.