The facts
What sperm Whale Ivory actually is
Sperm Whale Ivory is classified as marine mammal tooth (Physeter macrocephalus), with the composition Dentine: hydroxyapatite with collagen. It crystallises in the amorphous organic system.
Colour comes from cream to pale yellow, ageing to warm honey; no Schreger lines, which separates it from elephant ivory, 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 1.80–1.95. Cleavage: none; concentric dentine layers. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where sperm Whale Ivory comes from
Sperm Whale Ivory is produced at Historic whaling grounds of the Pacific and Atlantic; Nantucket and New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA as the classic scrimshaw centres.
One source only — which is unusual, and which means an origin claim naming anywhere else is either a mistake or a different material.
How sperm Whale Ivory is treated
Untreated, but the sperm whale is CITES Appendix I: commercial international trade is prohibited, and domestic sale of pre-Convention scrimshaw is tightly regulated and varies by country. Nineteenth-century scrimshaw is widely faked in polymer resin, which is warm to the touch and lacks dentine structure.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What sperm Whale Ivory is confused with
In the trade sperm Whale Ivory is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Elephant ivory, Walrus ivory, Resin scrimshaw fakes or Bone.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.53–1.54 and specific gravity 1.80–1.95 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What sperm Whale Ivory is used for
Demand for sperm Whale Ivory comes from mineral collecting, carving and sculpture 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 specimen, by the block or by the piece.
Durability and care
Hardness 2–2.5; cleavage none; concentric dentine layers. 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 sperm Whale Ivory costs
As a guide, sperm Whale Ivory trades around Documented antique scrimshaw 500–50,000 USD; undocumented material is generally unsaleable.
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 sperm Whale Ivory treated, and how?
Untreated, but the sperm whale is CITES Appendix I: commercial international trade is prohibited, and domestic sale of pre-Convention scrimshaw is tightly regulated and varies by country. Nineteenth-century scrimshaw is widely faked in polymer resin, which is warm to the touch and lacks dentine structure.
Where does sperm Whale Ivory come from?
Historic whaling grounds of the Pacific and Atlantic; Nantucket and New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA as the classic scrimshaw centres. That is the only commercial source.
Is sperm Whale 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 sperm Whale Ivory cost?
Indicatively Documented antique scrimshaw 500–50,000 USD; undocumented material is generally unsaleable. 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 sperm Whale Ivory confused with?
Most often Elephant ivory, Walrus ivory, Resin scrimshaw fakes and Bone. A refractive index of 1.53–1.54 and a specific gravity near 1.80–1.95 separate it quickly.
What is sperm Whale Ivory used for besides jewellery?
mineral collecting, carving and sculpture and decorative objects. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for sperm whale 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 sperm whale ivory