Featured Moon face pendant, bone or i****

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by bluumz, Aug 24, 2019.

  1. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    It was advertised as “vintage” and “bone” (and seller's photos were poor) but I see cross-hatching (Schreger?) lines on the forehead area. Upon inspection under a loupe, the angles of these lines appear to be less than 90 degrees. I’d love to get some opinions on whether it is bone or the dreaded “I” word. And if it is “I”, whether it is elephant “I” or fossil/mammoth “I”. :rolleyes:
    Age and origin info is appreciated, too. I haven't been able to find anything about the mark... a K in a circular CS?
    Unfortunately, these are the best photos I can get as I only have an old camera phone. Including the setting, but not the bail, it’s about the size of a US quarter.
    Thanks!
    EDIT: It does glow under black light.

    820470F5-7DE6-4316-9160-B2AE4F287F8A.jpeg 9D1E6DC1-8360-4475-B7BB-BE056E788F30.jpeg A6839431-354B-49A9-A770-DA5B37D7FF16.jpeg 8B65A92F-D297-4387-A568-34CDA6221431.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2019
  2. Jivvy

    Jivvy the research is my favorite

    I see nothing to suggest bone. :chicken:
     
  3. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Sajen is known for moonface jewellery, but this isn't Sajen. Maybe another Asian brand. It is cute though.
    It is the I word, but you could possibly be in the clear.
    Left elephant, right mammoth.
    [​IMG]
     
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  4. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    Thanks for confirming my suspicions, I was thinking fossil/mammoth I, too. :shy:
    Forgot to mention (will edit it in above, too), it does glow under black light.
     
  5. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    I thought so, too. Thanks!
     
  6. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    Any ideas on age? The setting is very like so many of the cameos we discuss.
     
  7. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    It is also like so many Asian and other settings. Strictly speaking this is not a cameo, because it was not made in a country with a European tradition or based on a Western design.

    Sajen started in Bali in the late 1980s. Since this is Sajen inspired imo, this would be later.
     
  8. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    Found these earrings advertised as Korite mammoth ivory but link is dead.

    [​IMG]
     
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  9. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    I wasn't trying to call it a cameo, just comparing the style of the settings. :)
    I'm now thinking it is indeed modern, too.
    I only paid a few dollars so it's all good.
     
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  10. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    And I think I've solved the mystery of the mark... it appears to be a K (for Korite) inside a nautilus shell, such as seen on the paper hang tag in this photo:

    Screenshot (72).png
     
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  11. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

    Looks like they are made in Indonesia and marked and sold by this company ..... https://korite.com/
     
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  12. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy


    Well, my initial guess about this piece being mammoth ivory turned out to be right, but my thought that it was vintage mid-20th century was way off, LOL!
    The website no longer lists mammoth ivory items for sale, they seem to be focusing on ammolite now. I suppose certain US state laws made it difficult to profit from marketing mammoth ivory jewelry.

    EDIT: Korite's CanadaFossils website states the mammoth tusks are imported from Russia.
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2019
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  13. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

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  14. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    For comparison, this is a moon face in bone, eyes closed, much lower relief than bluumz' piece with its open eyes:

    upload_2019-8-24_19-16-28.png

    upload_2019-8-24_19-16-55.png
     
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  15. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    That one is also a copy.
    The Sajen originals are more delicately carved, and they have Indonesian faces. The moonface is a representation of Dewi Ratih, the Goddess in her manifestation as Moon Goddess.

    This is one of the Sajen bone moonfaces with open eyes:
    [​IMG]
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/133140026566

    And one with closed eyes, also Sajen:
    [​IMG]
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/SAJEN-Sterling-Silver-Amber-Garnet-Carved-Bovine-Bone-Face-Pin/293162689269?_trkparms=aid=333200&algo=COMP.MBE&ao=1&asc=20171012094517&meid=8410a028296d4a92bdc1dc97a41495ee&pid=100008&rk=2&rkt=12&sd=133140026566&itm=293162689269&pmt=1&noa=0&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100008.m2219
     
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  16. Kathy Anderson

    Kathy Anderson Well-Known Member

    Agreed; the Balinese moon faces later followed by others are Thai.
     
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