The facts
What mammoth Ivory actually is
Mammoth Ivory is classified as dentine from the tusks of the extinct woolly mammoth Mammuthus primigenius, typically 10,000-40,000 years old, with the composition Hydroxyapatite with degraded collagen; often mineral-stained. It crystallises in the amorphous / fibrous system.
Colour comes from blue-green vivianite and brown iron staining from burial; the natural bark colours are prized, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.53-1.54. Specific gravity around 1.70-2.00. Cleavage: none; Schreger lines with outer angles below 100 degrees - the key separation from elephant. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where mammoth Ivory comes from
Mammoth Ivory is produced at Yakutia (Sakha Republic), Siberia, Russia - the overwhelming majority of supply, Chukotka and the New Siberian Islands, Russia, North Slope and the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, USA and Yukon, Canada.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How mammoth Ivory is treated
Not CITES-listed - mammoths are extinct and outside the Convention, and an Appendix II proposal at CoP18 (2019) was deferred. But it is banned or restricted at state level in New York, New Jersey, California and Hawaii, precisely because it is used to launder elephant ivory; China restricts it; and Russia now licenses tusk export from Yakutia. Commonly stabilised with resin. Check both the destination jurisdiction and the export licence before trading.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What mammoth Ivory is confused with
In the trade mammoth Ivory is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Elephant ivory (Schreger angle is the test), Walrus ivory, Bone or Resin castings.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.53-1.54 and specific gravity 1.70-2.00 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What mammoth Ivory is used for
Demand for mammoth Ivory comes from carving and sculpture, jewellery, mineral collecting and decorative objects, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the block, by the carat or by the specimen.
Durability and care
Hardness 2-2.5; cleavage none; Schreger lines with outer angles below 100 degrees - the key separation from elephant. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What mammoth Ivory costs
As a guide, mammoth Ivory trades around $50-400 per kilogram for rough grades; premium bark-coloured and crack-free carving stock $300-1,500 per kilogram.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is mammoth Ivory treated, and how?
Not CITES-listed - mammoths are extinct and outside the Convention, and an Appendix II proposal at CoP18 (2019) was deferred. But it is banned or restricted at state level in New York, New Jersey, California and Hawaii, precisely because it is used to launder elephant ivory; China restricts it; and Russia now licenses tusk export from Yakutia. Commonly stabilised with resin. Check both the destination jurisdiction and the export licence before trading.
Where does mammoth Ivory come from?
Yakutia (Sakha Republic), Siberia, Russia - the overwhelming majority of supply, Chukotka and the New Siberian Islands, Russia, North Slope and the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, USA and Yukon, Canada. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is mammoth Ivory hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 2-2.5 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does mammoth Ivory cost?
Indicatively $50-400 per kilogram for rough grades; premium bark-coloured and crack-free carving stock $300-1,500 per kilogram. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is mammoth Ivory confused with?
Most often Elephant ivory (Schreger angle is the test), Walrus ivory, Bone and Resin castings. A refractive index of 1.53-1.54 and a specific gravity near 1.70-2.00 separate it quickly.
What is mammoth Ivory used for besides jewellery?
carving and sculpture, mineral collecting and decorative objects. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for mammoth ivory?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about mammoth ivory