Elk Ivory Pendant

As a jeweler with many clients in Wyoming, one is often asked to create jewelry from elk ivory (two teeth located in the elk’s upper jaw near the front of the mouth; they are thought to be the remnants of prehistoric tusks). This often requires cutting off the majority of the ivory and displaying only the apex of the tooth. In this piece, I wanted to honor and elevate the whole ivory, root to tip.

Materials: silver, mokume (14k), ruby, elk ivory