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Rocky Mountain Ivory is a division of Aaron's Jewelry. Aaron's Jewelry has been in business since 1967, and we are proud of our excellent reputation in the jewelry community.
All custom pieces are created by hand by our expert design staff. We are highly qualified, talented, and eager to earn your trust, and your business.
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Can I melt down an existing ring to make a new one?
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So what exactly are Elk Ivory Teeth?
Elk Ivory is known by many names, some of which include: Ivories, Buglers, Bugle Teeth, Whistlers, and Eye Teeth. Whatever the name, Elk Ivory has been sought after and prized for hundreds, possibly thousands, of years.
Each mature elk, both bull and cow, has two canine teeth that are composed of ivory. These are the teeth that are considered valuable and often made into Rings, Pendants, Bracelets, and countless other pieces of jewelry and Fobs. The canine teeth are the teeth that most people associate with "fangs" in other animals. While positioned as canines in the elks mouth, this Elk Ivory is really nothing like your average "fang" or tusk. The Elk Ivory used in jewelry is typically worn smooth and round. Ivory from younger elk tend to be more pointed and white in color. As the elk ages, the Ivories become much more smooth and turn a dark caramel color. These darker caramel colored Ivories are regarded as the more desirable, and therefore, more valuable teeth. Size also plays an important role in value and desirability.
How do I care for Elk Ivory?
Once the Ivory has been removed from the elk, there are two schools of thought on cleaning the Ivory. Some prefer to do nothing. Just let the "meat" dry completely and then peel or scrape it away from the Ivory. Others prefer to thoroughly clean the Ivory by boiling the Ivory in water until the "meat" becomes soft and can easily be pulled away from the Ivory. Either way is acceptable however, if you choose to use the boiling method, be certain you don't burn the teeth. 10 min or so should do the trick.
We have seen many Ivory Teeth over the years, and as detailed on this page, the darker the Ivory the more valuable. As a result there are countless ways in which people have tried to "darken" the Ivory such as: storage in a can of tobacco or coffee, application of a wood stain, or even heating with a torch to darken by scorching the surface. None of these methods produce an acceptable result and should be avoided.
The best way to care for the cleaned Ivory is to keep them away from extreme temperature and if they aren't to be fashioned into jewelry in the near future coat them very lightly with some mineral oil. This will prevent the Ivory from becoming brittle with age and ensure they retain both their value and beauty.
Did you know we were featured in Petersen's HUNTING magazine?
We are humbled, and grateful to the folks at Petersen's HUNTING for selecting our Elk Ivory Jewelry to be featured in the September 2015 issue.