"Bone is a mineralized connective tissue consisting of dahllite, proteins and lipids. Compact bone, which is most often used as an ivory substitute, is extensively permeated by a series of canals through which fluid flows. This is the Haversian System. The Haversian canals can be seen on a polished bone surface using a 10X hand lens. These canals appear as pits or scratch like irregularities. Their appearance is often accentuated by the presence of discolored organic material which adheres to the pit walls."

Acrylic: Thermoset plastic material that does not shatter. Also known as lucite or plexiglass.

Amber: The petrified sap from a prehistoric tree. May have insects or plant materials in it. Can range from clear, to pale green, to dark orange.

Bakelite: Phenol Formaldehyde Resin invented by Leo H Baekeland in 1909. Does not melt once cast.

Bone: Jewelry was and still is made from - natural materials - such as bone, animal teeth, shell, wood, and carved stone.

Celluloid: The name of a class of compounds created from nitrocellulose and camphor, plus dyes and other agents. Celluloid is generally regarded to be the first thermoplastic. It is easily molded and shaped, there are suggestions that celluloid was first made as an ivory replacement. Celluloid is highly flammable and also easily decomposes, and is no longer widely used.

Coral: A stationary living organism found in bodies of water.

Galalith: French Bakelite. Made of milk proteins. Does not test like Bakelite.

Ivory: The tusk or bone of an animal.

Lucite: Dupont's registered name for methyl methacrylate polymer, a thermoset plastic also referred to as acrylic or plexiglass. Does not melt after molded.

Plexiglass: Rohm & Haas Chemical Company's registered name for methyl methacrylate, a thermoset plastic also referred to as acrylic or lucite. Does not melt after molded. Does not shatter.

Thermoset Plastic: A thermoplastic that can not be remolded or melted after molded and cast.