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  • Bone

Bone

Organic

By Tim Matthews, JD, FGA, GG, DGA,
CEO and President of JTV
Published: June 2014
Modified: October 2021
Bone Polished Bone Rough Bone Jewelry
Table of Contents
  • General Information
  • Bone Colors
  • Countries of Origin
  • Care
  • Species/Variety

Since prehistoric times, people have used animal bones for ornamentation. Their relative softness lends to beautiful carvings for both detailed figurines and jewelry, often as beads. Cultures without access to ivory often used bone for similar purposes.

General Information

  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical Properties
  • Chemistry & Crystallography
Common Name
Bone
Species
Organic
Transparency
Opaque
Dispersion
Strength: None
Refractive Index
1.540
Optic Character
NA
Optic Sign
NA
Polariscope Reaction
Aggregate (AGG)
Fluorescence
LWUV: Faint to strong bluish white
Pleochroism
None
Hardness
2.5
Specific Gravity
Typical:2.000
Toughness
Poor
Inclusions
Bone has a parallel fibrous structure. If the piece is viewed as a cross section you can see the remnants of blood vessels. These areas will appear round or oval and might have a dark appearance if stained or filled with a foreign substance. Some bones will be hollow or the center will have spongy texture.
Luster
Dull
Cleavage
None
Chemical Name
calcium hydroxylapatite
Chemical Formula
CaHA
Crystal System
NA
Chemistry Classification
Organic

Bone Colors

  • Brown Bone
    Brown
  • White Bone
    White
  • Yellow Bone
    Yellow

Countries of Origin

Niger (the); Papua New Guinea; Cambodia; Gambia (the); Kazakhstan; Paraguay; Solomon Islands; Montserrat; Unknown; Mali; Guadeloupe; Panama; Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba; Argentina; Seychelles; Belize; Zambia; Bahrain; Guinea-Bissau; Saint Barthelemy; Namibia; Finland; Georgia; Yemen; Tanzania, United Republic Of; Eritrea; Puerto Rico; Viet Nam; Aruba; Madagascar; Libya; Sweden; Malawi; Andorra; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; Liechtenstein; Russian Federation (the); Poland; Bulgaria; Jordan; United States Minor Outlying Islands (the); Tunisia; Tuvalu; Kenya; French Polynesia; Djibouti; Lebanon; Azerbaijan; Cuba; Mauritania; Saint Lucia; Guernsey; Congo (the Democratic Republic of the); Mayotte; Israel; San Marino; Australia; Tajikistan; Myanmar; Cameroon; Gibraltar; Cyprus; Malaysia; Iceland; Oman; Bosnia And Herzegovina; Armenia; Gabon; Korea (the Republic of); Luxembourg; Brazil; Algeria; Cabo Verde; Jersey; Slovenia; Colombia; Ecuador; Iran (Islamic Republic of); United States of America (the); Vanuatu; Honduras; Italy; Antarctica; Turks and Caicos Islands (the); Nauru; Haiti; Afghanistan; Burundi; British Indian Ocean Territory (the); Singapore; French Guiana; American Samoa; Christmas Island; China; Martinique; Sudan (the); Kyrgyzstan; Comoros (the); United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the); Reunion; Saint Pierre And Miquelon; Cote D'Ivoire; Bhutan; Multiple; Romania; Togo; Cocos (Keeling) Islands (the); Dominican Republic (the); Uzbekistan; Holy See (the); Netherlands (the); Pitcairn; Zimbabwe; Montenegro; Dominica; Indonesia; Benin; Angola; Virgin Islands (British); Brunei Darussalam; Portugal; New Caledonia; Grenada; Moldova (the Republic of); Greece; Latvia; Mongolia; Morocco; Guatemala; Guyana; Iraq; Chile; Nepal; Cayman Islands (the); Isle of Man; Ukraine; Ghana; Anguilla; Saint Vincent And The Grenadines; India; Canada; Maldives; Turkey; Belgium; Faroe Islands (the); South Africa; Bermuda; Aland Islands; Jamaica; Peru; Turkmenistan; Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of); Germany; United Arab Emirates (the); Fiji; Tokelau; Hong Kong; Guinea; Chad; Somalia; Thailand; Cook Islands (the); Equatorial Guinea; Kiribati; Costa Rica; Saint Martin (French part); Kuwait; Nigeria; Central African Republic (the); Palestine, State of; Croatia; Sao Tome And Principe; Syrian Arab Republic; Sri Lanka; Uruguay; Timor-Leste; Switzerland; Samoa; Spain; Liberia; Burkina Faso; Swaziland; Lao People's Democratic Republic (the); Palau; Estonia; Wallis and Futuna; Niue; Svalbard And Jan Mayen; Austria; Mozambique; El Salvador; Monaco; Guam; Lesotho; Tonga; Heard Island And Mcdonald Islands; Western Sahara; Hungary; Republic of Kosovo; South Sudan; Congo (the); Japan; Belarus; Curacao; Mauritius; Taiwan (Province of China); Bouvet Island; Albania; Bolivia (Plurinational State of); Norfolk Island; Trinidad And Tobago; Virgin Islands (U.S.); New Zealand; Sint Maarten (Dutch part); Senegal; Micronesia (Federated States of); Ethiopia; Macedonia (the former Yugoslav Republic of); Czechia; Egypt; Falkland Islands (the) [Malvinas]; Marshall Islands (the); Sierra Leone; Malta; Saudi Arabia; South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands; Pakistan; Ireland; Qatar; Slovakia; France; Lithuania; Serbia; Bahamas (the); French Southern Territories (the); Rwanda; Saint Kitts And Nevis; Bangladesh; Barbados; Nicaragua; Norway; Botswana; Macao; Denmark; Mexico; Northern Mariana Islands (the); Uganda; Suriname; Philippines (the); Greenland; Antigua And Barbuda

Care

Bone is very soft and may discolor with time. Discoloration is due to porosity/absorption of body oils or other substances from wearing. Be mindful of scratching. Avoid chemicals and ultrasonic cleaners. Requires gentle handling

Species/Variety

Antler

Antlers are bone structures that extend out from the skull of most deer varieties. Typically, only Males of the species grow antlers and they and are shed annually. They are popular carving material for knife handles and decorative items. They have been used since prehistoric times for ornamentation.

Antler Bone
Antler Bone
  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical properties
Common Name
Antler
Refractive Index
1.54
Toughness
Poor
Inclusions
Can have multiple cavities or the center may have a spongy core.
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