Ivory appraisal, identification and pre-ban certification

Ivory Experts consists of a group of art historians and appraisers with experience of many years researching famous ivory carvers, authenticating their works, dating ivory pieces and appraising their value.

A crucial question today when considering selling, buying or shipping ivory to another State or Country is when was it carved? The original CITES Elephant Ban was signed on March 3, 1973. On January 18, 1990 the African Elephant was placed on Appendix I which provides the strictest CITES permits regulations. On July 6, 2016, a near-total ban on commercial trade in African elephant ivory went into effect in the United States.

Of interest to most private ivory owners is the fact that the sale of African elephant ivory items across state lines (interstate commerce) is prohibited, except for items that qualify as ESA antiques.

We date ivory using all the methods available from radio carbon dating, to art historical styles, to provenance research, to documentary research.

In doing so we abide by the ESA requirements:
"The person claiming the benefit of the ESA exception must prove that the article is not less than 100 years of age. Such proof can be in the form of testing using scientifically approved aging methods by a laboratory or facility accredited to conduct such tests, a qualified appraisal, or another method that documents the age by establishing the provenance of the article."
Courtesy: United States Department of the Interior

Please contact us using click on this link and we will respond promptly. To upload photos please use the form below: