Also known as “white gold,” ivory has been one of the most important global commodities in human history and has fuelled some of the oldest trade networks in the world. Its beauty and versatility mean that it can be used for a wide variety of objects such as carvings, musical instruments, book covers, jewelry and more.

Carved tusk in Sa’dabad Palace, Iran

The word ‘ivory’ can refer to the tusks or tooth material of a variety of animals including elephants, walruses, wild boards, and narwhale horns. True ivory however is only used to refer to the incisor of the elephant, and it is this type of ivory that is the valuable and most sought after as it is the easiest to carve. It is the demand for true ivory that is resulting in large elephant population declines in Africa as they are being illegally killed in order to obtain their ivory.