A custom sterling silver necklace made out of an elk ivory. If you are wondering what an elk ivory is...
An elk has two ivories located in their upper jaw. The ancient ancestors of elk previously had upper canine tusks. It is assumed that the tusks were used to fight and establish social order. Over time the tusks became obsolete and ivories are all that remain in contemporary elk.
This necklace was made for a friend who discovered an elk skull while hunting in Montana. He had two ivories and our initial plan was to make a pair of earrings, but the large size of the ivories and the weight of silver needed to create the setting meant a necklace was more appropriate. I'm personally drawn to the contrast between the clean geometric lines of the setting and the organic shape of the ivory.
Initial earring design
Decided to make it a necklace based on size and weight
Necklace component cast in sterling silver. Next step is to polish and then epoxy the ivory into the necklace
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