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Fossil Ivory, Sterling Silver and Opal
$215.00
"We walk up the beach under the stars. And when we are tired of walking, we lie flat on the sand under a bowl of stars. We feel stretched, expanded to take in their compass. They pour into us until we are filled with stars, up to the brim." Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Whether you love things nautical or astronomical, you'll want to wear our working model Astrolabe Pendant, or just keep it in a nautically inspired room!
The Astrolabe was invented by the Greeks to make measurements of the angular height of celestial bodies above the horizon. The instrument is basically a circle with degrees marked on a portion of its outer rim. A pointer (the alidade) is free to rotate about the center of the circle. To use the Astrolabe, the navigator would hold the instrument above his head and sight along the alidade until he lined up the North Star (Polaris), for example, with both ends of the pointer. He would then read the angle Polaris made with the horizon - And lo and behold, this angle is equal to the observer's latitude! By the 15th century, ship's navigators had developed the Astrolabe into a precise instrument from which (among other things) they would determine their latitude at sea. Made with a pierced body of fossil ivory (pierced to cut down on windage at sea), its alidade actually rotates and is turned up at its ends for easy sighting. The center of the alidade is marked with a lovely small opal. The right-hand upper quadrant of the body is hand etched in from 0 to 90 degrees. It has a full Sterling Silver bezel, and a graceful bail. 1 1/4 inches round. Shown with Light Fossil Walrus Ivory body, Medium Tan alidade axis and Light Mammoth alidade. An altogether captivating piece!
Sterling Silver - Complete with Sterling Silver chain.
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All items chosen with Registered Sperm Whale Ivory will come with a Registration Certificate containing the Department of Commerce registration number. [Sperm Whale Ivory Shipped only to addresses in Maryland]
We stand ready to scrimshaw anything you would like on any of our pieces - animals, ship's and family portraits, landscapes, nautical scenes, hunting scenes, etc. We do many special order commission pieces from blazer buttons, knitting needles (knitters take note!), fountain pens, corkscrews, pistol grips, ball point pens and mechanical pencils, desk accessories, Fossil Ivory ship models, ship half hulls, Nantucket and Lightship Baskets, to custom whole Sperm Whale Teeth or whole Walrus Tusks. We also handcraft fossil ivory sailing/nautical trophies to order. We can personalize any piece with a scrimshawed name and initials at no extra charge. (Email us with any queries. Just email us at studio@ancientivories.com and let us know your special order needs!
Have a question? Just call us toll free at 1-866-468-0728.
The available colors of our high quality Fossilized Ivories are shown below. (Please allow for some color variation in these natural materials.) Our wonderful Ivories have been reclaimed from the ground after sharing the earth for up to 30 millennia! Even after all this time, Fossil Ivory remains warm and sensuous organic ivory; it is not petrified. It has developed its beautiful colors by taking up minerals from the earth and these colors are impossible to match in any contemporary ivories by modern processes. In time, the Fossil Ivories you wear or use will take on very personal hues from your contact. They will become a part of you.
These are our
scrimshaw Design Etchings.
In addition to these designs,
as an added option,
you may send us a
picture of your choice
for a
commission price quote.
Looking for thoughtful and interesting gifts?
Know someone who absolutely loves his boat? Let us hand etch it's portrait, along with name and hull number - and the name of the captain - on one of our knives, pendants, money clips, or any of our other pieces!
Ancient Ivories Studios handcrafted items make sensational and warmly personalized gifts that will be treasured and enjoyed.
Have questions or special order needs? Just email us at studio@ancientivories.com or call us
toll free at
1-866-468-0728.
Please bookmark our site. We add new designs and items periodically.
None of our Ivory is contemporary, and not a single animal has been killed, culled, or otherwise harmed to produce our Fossil Ivories. It is the only perfect, ecologically sound, humane way to own and wear warm, wonderful and enduring ivory.
We Use No Elephant Ivory, Nor Contemporary Ivories of Any Kind.
Every piece of Sperm Whale Ivory we sell, is registered with the Department of Commerce, and comes with a Department of Commerce registration number.[Our license does not allow us to ship Sperm Whale Ivory outside of Maryland.]
We have many more fine knives in our studio that are not on our website. Email us for availability of your favorite knife with Fossil Ivory handles! (We also replace scales on treasured old knives.)
 LEARN ABOUT ANCIENT IVORIES STUDIOS AND OUR GALLERY CRAFT SHOW OUTLETS BY CLICKING ON THE LINK AT RIGHT
 FOR A MAP OF OUR SITE, PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK AT RIGHT.
We offer the best prices on the web and outstanding value - check us out! Have a question? Just call us
toll free at 1-866-468-0728.
Most of our pieces are unique treasures created especially for the prospective wearer. Want to help us design your scrimshaw piece? Whether it's a fossil ivory Amulet or Talisman, Scrimshaw jewelry, personalized scrimshaw knives, Fossil Ivory Wedding or Commitment Band, Pendants, Brooches, scrimshaw sailor's Knife, Sterling Silver and scrimshaw Box, Scrimshaw Sperm Whale's Tooth, or Sterling Silver and Ivory scrimshaw Spoons and Tableware, just email us and we will work with you for a very personal piece you'll love to use or wear!
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