Difference between revisions of "Vegetable ivory"

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[[File:tagua nut group1.jpg|thumb|Tagua nuts]]
 
[[File:tagua nut group1.jpg|thumb|Tagua nuts]]
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 +
[[File:tagua nut piece.jpg|thumb|Tagua nut piece]]
 +
The hard, cream-colored seed of the any of several palm trees. Vegetable ivory resembles true ivory in appearance and hardness, but it has a fibrous microscopic structure. Ivory nuts were used for small carved items, buttons, dice, knife handles, cane heads, and Japanese netsuke. They accept dyes readily and can be polished to a glossy luster. Some of the vegetable ivory palms are:
  
The hard, cream-colored seed of the any of several palm trees. Vegetable ivory resembles true ivory in appearance and hardness, but it has a fibrous microscopic structure. Ivory nuts were used for small carved items, buttons, cane heads, and Japanese netsuke. They accept dyes readily and can be polished to a glossy luster. Some of the vegetable ivory palms are:
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* [[ivory%20nut|ivory nut]] - ''Phytelephas macrocarpa'', found in Colombia and Ecuador
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* [[doum%20palm|doum palm]] nuts - ''Hyphaene thebaica'', found in Africa
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* [[tagua%20nut|tagua palm]] nuts - ''Phytelephas euqatorialis'', found in South America
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* apple nuts - ''Metroxylon amicarum'', found in the South Pacific
  
- [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=ivory%20nut ivory nut] - ''Phytelephas macrocarpa'', found in Colombia and Ecuador
 
 
- [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=doum%20palm doum palm] nuts - ''Hyphaene thebaica'', found in Africa
 
 
- [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=tagua%20nut tagua palm] nuts - ''Phytelephas euqatorialis'', found in South America
 
 
- apple nuts - ''Metroxylon amicarum'', found in the South Pacific
 
 
[[File:tagua nut piece.jpg|thumb|Tagua nut piece]]
 
 
== Synonyms and Related Terms ==
 
== Synonyms and Related Terms ==
  
 
ivory nut; doom palm nut; gingerbread palm nut; apple nut; tagua nut; dom nut
 
ivory nut; doom palm nut; gingerbread palm nut; apple nut; tagua nut; dom nut
 +
==Physical and Chemical Properties==
  
== Additional Information ==
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* Color = white but may be dyed any color
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* May be dyed any color, but dyeing may show grain or may not penetrate deeple
 +
* Birefringence = none
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* Pleochroism = none
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* Fluorescence = variable
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* Inclusions = parallel torpedo-shape cells that appear round in cross-section
  
J.Thornton,"The Structure of Ivory and Ivory Substitutes", AIC Preprints, Philadelphia, 1981, p.173-181.
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{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
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! scope="row"| Mohs Hardness
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| 2.5
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|-
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! scope="row"| Density
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| 1.38 - 1.42 g/ml
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|-
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! scope="row"| Refractive index
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| 1.54
 +
|}
  
== Authority ==
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==Resources and Citations==
  
 +
* J.Thornton,"The Structure of Ivory and Ivory Substitutes", AIC Preprints, Philadelphia, 1981, p.173-181.
 +
* Gem Identification Lab Manual, Gemological Institute of America, 2016.
 
* G.S.Brady, ''Materials Handbook'', McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971  Comment: p. 424
 
* G.S.Brady, ''Materials Handbook'', McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971  Comment: p. 424
 
+
* Wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_ivory Vegetable Ivory] Accessed Dec 2022
 
* Hermann Kuhn, ''Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art and Antiquities'', Butterworths, London, 1986
 
* Hermann Kuhn, ''Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art and Antiquities'', Butterworths, London, 1986
 
 
* Random House, ''Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language'', Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
 
* Random House, ''Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language'', Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
 
 
* ''The American Heritage Dictionary'' or ''Encarta'', via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
 
* ''The American Heritage Dictionary'' or ''Encarta'', via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
  

Latest revision as of 12:49, 5 January 2023

Tagua nuts

Description

Tagua nut piece

The hard, cream-colored seed of the any of several palm trees. Vegetable ivory resembles true ivory in appearance and hardness, but it has a fibrous microscopic structure. Ivory nuts were used for small carved items, buttons, dice, knife handles, cane heads, and Japanese netsuke. They accept dyes readily and can be polished to a glossy luster. Some of the vegetable ivory palms are:

  • Ivory nut - Phytelephas macrocarpa, found in Colombia and Ecuador
  • Doum palm nuts - Hyphaene thebaica, found in Africa
  • tagua palm nuts - Phytelephas euqatorialis, found in South America
  • apple nuts - Metroxylon amicarum, found in the South Pacific

Synonyms and Related Terms

ivory nut; doom palm nut; gingerbread palm nut; apple nut; tagua nut; dom nut

Physical and Chemical Properties

  • Color = white but may be dyed any color
  • May be dyed any color, but dyeing may show grain or may not penetrate deeple
  • Birefringence = none
  • Pleochroism = none
  • Fluorescence = variable
  • Inclusions = parallel torpedo-shape cells that appear round in cross-section
Mohs Hardness 2.5
Density 1.38 - 1.42 g/ml
Refractive index 1.54

Resources and Citations

  • J.Thornton,"The Structure of Ivory and Ivory Substitutes", AIC Preprints, Philadelphia, 1981, p.173-181.
  • Gem Identification Lab Manual, Gemological Institute of America, 2016.
  • G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 424
  • Wikipedia: Vegetable Ivory Accessed Dec 2022
  • Hermann Kuhn, Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art and Antiquities, Butterworths, London, 1986
  • Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
  • The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

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