Elephants on the high street an investigation into - International ...

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SECTION ONE: IVORY TRADE IN THE UK
Although various tests can be used to differentiate between elephant ivory and that of other mammals, and
to tell the difference between ivory and most synthetic substances, none of these methods are foolproof.
Interestingly, however, during our investigations, the self-proclaimed experts selling ivory on the streets of
the UK confidently assured us they could identify and date ivory – offering a profusion of contradictory
advice and statements which included:
• Ivory feels warmer against your face than bone or plastic.
• Ivory is colder than bone.
• Old ivory goes yellow with age and use.
• New ivory is white.
• Old ivory becomes bright white if you clean it with milk or gin.
• You can tell the difference between old and new ivory because the markings in the ivory change over time.
• Yellow ivory goes white if you put it in the light.
• Ivory stays white if you keep it in the dark.
• Ivory gets darker if you put it in a dark place.
• Asian ivory is darker than African ivory.
• African ivory is darker than Asian ivory.
• The colour of ivory is actually determined by the elephant's diet, and can range from creamy white
through rose, brown and even black.
A leading ivory collectors' website makes the situation quite clear, pointing out: "Dealers and collectors
alike are often fooled or misled when it comes to ivory, bone and synthetic figures." 48
Even where ivory has been positively and correctly identified, there is of course no test to show how old it
is – or when it was carved. Although ivory may change its appearance with age in terms of colour and
patina, or develop hairline cracks and accumulate dirt, items can also be made to look older by staining
with tea or smoke and deliberate cracking. Without documentary proof of age none of these signs of age are
sufficient to prove that an item is an antique.
For more information on the many forms of ivory and synthetic substitutes and their decorative and
utilitarian uses, please see Appendix 6.
Zimbabwe National Park’s stockpile of ivory
© Richard Sobol / IFAW
SECTION ONE: IVORY TRADE IN THE UK
A mammoth legal loophole
Mammoth ivory prices have fallen since 1989 because, with global warming and increasing areas of
permafrost melting, more and more mammoth carcasses are being exposed and their tusks sold onto the
international market. Tusks can be massive, weighing up to 100kg. Those near the surface, which have
thawed and frozen several times, are poor quality. However, those from deep ice can be as white and as
good quality as elephant ivory.
It is unclear how much mammoth ivory has been retrieved and where it now is, although one mammoth
ivory workshop owner said he thought there would be enough raw mammoth ivory to supply the East Asian
market for 30 years. 49 IFAW searches for 'mammoth ivory' on eBay at any one time usually brought up more
than 400 items and there are scores of websites dealing solely in selling worked mammoth ivory and
uncarved tusks.
The mammoth, being extinct, is obviously not on any CITES Appendix and there are no controls on trading
it. This opens a huge loophole – especially as good quality mammoth ivory is actually more expensive than
illegal African elephant ivory in China. It is clear that at least some elephant ivory is being illegally
exported labelled as 'mammoth ivory' to conveniently bypass Customs. 50
For example, in 1999 a passenger arriving in the US from Hong Kong was stopped with a consignment of
56 small ivory carvings in his luggage. The man said the carvings were all mammoth ivory – and had
receipts from Hong Kong stores to the same effect. However, when sent for testing in the USFWS (US
Fish and Wildlife Service) laboratory, ten were found to be made from elephant ivory and only six
from mammoths. A further twenty nine were said to be made from 'elephant ivory of an indeterminate
source' and ten from 'ivory of an indeterminate source', which means they may not have come from either
elephants or mammoths. 51
If one of the world's most sophisticated forensic laboratories cannot definitively identify the source of
ivory, then an average ivory buyer – or Customs agent – will stand little chance. This creates a worrying
grey area, which makes the life of the illegal trader a great deal easier.
Raw ivory tusk for sale at Portobello Road Market
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© IFAW