Elk ivory is the rarest jewelry component in the world. Often referred to
as the "pearl of the west", elk ivory has been found among artifacts
5,000 years old. Native Americans often used elk teeth as a decorative element
in jewelry and clothing. The first confirmed elk ivory ornaments in the U.S.
were unearthed at the Fort Yates archeological dig in south central North Dakota,
along the Missouri river, dating back roughly 530 years. Elk teeth are still
used in decoration today and can make a unique, one of a kind jewelry piece.
If you are imagining a string of teeth with holes drilled through them and
strung on a piece of leather, you haven't seen a contemporary, well-made
piece of elk tooth jewelry. "Elk teeth can be a gorgeous centerpiece
for rings, pendants, belt buckles, cuff links, bracelets, and more with stunning
results" says Sarah Buckles Larner, an elk tooth and precious stone
custom jewelry designer in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. "Just like a
traditional jewelry setting using precious stones, you can use elk teeth with
metals like sterling silver, 14K yellow or white gold, or a combination of
those metals to create a lovely piece."
Elk hunting is big business in Colorado. Elk are abundant; therefore hunting
season yields plenty of material for a designer or elk tooth jewelry enthusiast.
Sarah's customers range from hunters with their own elk teeth to clients
that just appreciate the unique style of an elk tooth pendant or ring. "If
a customer brings in their own elk teeth and they are not already cleaned,
they are carefully boiled, cleaned, and then carefully polish of all the rough
edges and buffed to a pearl-like finish. Then they are ready to use"
Once the elk ivory tooth is polished, the color and highlights are unique
to each tooth. Depending on the shape and the polish, the colors range from
a milky white ivory color to dark chocolate brown. When the teeth are polished
it may give you a better idea of the type of jewelry that you would like to
have created. You can use a single tooth to create a ring, a pendant or a money
clip while a matched pair of teeth can be put in a belt buckle, a silver and
gold bracelet or cuff links.
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