Hi, I would like to let you know there is a very good way to find out if your ivory item (scrimshaw, whale tooth, tusk, etc) is made from a real piece of ivory. Imitation ivory can look very much like real ivory, so it is very important to know how to tell the difference. Simply heat the point of a small sewing needle to red hot. Place the tip of it while still hot to a non-conspicuous area on the item you are testing such as the bottom. There will be a little puff of smoke that results from this contact. If the smoke smells like burnt hair you've got yourself a piece of real ivory. If it smells like burnt plastic then it is an imitation piece and made from a resinous material.

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