Help needed on how to identify ivory

[trulyspecialgoodies]

I have an antique Mah-Jong set and believe the tiles are made of ivory (or bone) backed with bamboo - but I'm not sure. Is there some simple way of telling the difference between plastic and ivory? Any help you experienced collectors can give me would be much appreciated. The wooden chest (with drawers) that this set comes in is decorated with brass fittings - it is 24cm W, 31cm H, and 18cm D. It's extremely heavy and weighs almost 7kg.

[kooriflag]

I don't know if you want to try it in an out of the way place...but a hot pin will melt plastic but noy damage ivory. I have seen it done to scrimshaws to date them.

Also good magnification shoud show up the grain in bone which is more obvious than on good ivory

[kooriflag]

Please excuse my spelling  NOT and SHOULD are what I meant

[kopenhagen5]

I was going to say the same, a hot needle is often used to distinguish plastic beads from stone/bone. The needle will penetrate the plastic but not the others.

[go-tazz]

There is also a distinctive smell when poked with the needle:  http://www.asian-arts.net/oriental-treats/fake.htm

[trulyspecialgoodies]

Thank you all very much for your replies.

Go-tazz, that link was particularly helpful - I quickly dug out my jeweller's loupe (with 20x magnification) and was amazed to see the crosshatch grain which is invisible to the naked eye. I couldn't try the hot needle test since we've recently moved house and we haven't found our sewing kit yet lol.

[oldworldlady]

Any tiny black spots or flecks will indicate bone not ivory, as these are the remains of blood vessels found in bone but not ivory.

Don't go poking hot needles into anything you want to sell jewellery-wise. Buyers don't like needle holes poked into their jewellery. :-x

[gem-boy-g]

further to oldworldlady's advice, hot needles in celluloid pieces can cause it to flare up.