The Kotzebue - Wooly Mammoth Tusk Earrings - Alaska

The Kotzebue - Wooly Mammoth Tusk Earrings

• Stone: Wooly Mammoth Tusk (fossil ivory)
• Setting: Teardrop bezel with beaded rope-edge border
• Ear Wire: Sterling silver lever back
• Details: Hand-fabricated bezel with ridged beadwork trim; hand-stamped maker's mark on reverse
• Dimensions: Stone ¾" x 15⁄16" (19mm x 24mm) · Lever back 14mm · Overall drop 1¾" (44mm)
• Origin: Alaska (fossil ivory), sterling silver setting Taos, NM
• Maker's Mark: Hand-stamped by the artist

There is no other material in jewelry quite like it. Woolly mammoth tusk is ancient ivory not excavated from an elephant, not harvested from a living animal, but recovered from the permafrost of Alaska, Siberia, and the Yukon, where it has rested undisturbed for ten thousand to forty thousand years. What emerges from the frozen ground is something transformed: ivory that has mineralized over millennia, absorbing iron, manganese, and the chemistry of the earth around it, turning from white to deep cream, amber, caramel, sienna, and sometimes a rare, striking blue-grey or brown-black. No two pieces share the same color. No two share the same grain.

The woolly mammoth Mammuthus primigenius roamed the cold steppes of the northern hemisphere through the Pleistocene epoch, disappearing from the Alaskan and Siberian mainland roughly ten thousand years ago, with the last isolated populations surviving on Wrangel Island until around 1650 BCE. The tusks now surfacing from eroding riverbanks and coastal bluffs in Alaska are the natural remains of animals that have been gone longer than recorded human history. Collecting them is legal, ethical, and regulated a rare material that carries no harm in its sourcing.

The material itself is dense and workable, taking a smooth, warm polish unlike any stone. It holds fine detail beautifully in metalwork. Up close, the Schreger lines a crosshatch pattern unique to proboscidean ivory are often still visible, a kind of biological fingerprint left by the animal itself.

To wear mammoth tusk is to carry something genuinely prehistoric. Not a reproduction. Not an homage. The actual thing pulled from Alaskan ground, shaped by Taos hands, set in silver.

DAILY WEAR

Put jewelry on last - after lotion and perfume. Remove before swimming, cleaning , or working with your hands.

CLEANING 

Warm water and a drop pf dish soap does the job. Use a soft cloth, dry immediately, and finish with a silver polishing cloth.

TARNISH 

Tarnish is natural, not damage. If a piece has an antiqued finish, polish only the raised surfaces to preserve the contrast. 

STORAGE 

Store pieces separately in a soft pouch or lined box. Keep away from humid areas and direct sunlight to slow tarnishing.

Returns & Exchanges

MADE-TO-ORDER & CUSTOM RING SIZE

All “Choose Your Size” rings and custom orders are final sale. Because these pieces are crafted specifically to your specifications, they are not eligible for returns or exchanges. Please ensure all details — especially ring size — are accurate before placing your order.

ALL OTHER ITEMS 

Most items are eligible for return or exchange. To initiate a return, please contact us within 2–3 days of receiving your order. Items must be returned within 7 days of delivery. Refunds are processed upon receipt of the returned piece.

A NOTE ON RING SIZING 

Getting the right fit starts with an accurate measurement. Wide band rings in particular may require sizing up by ¼ to ½ size for a comfortable fit, so please keep that in mind when ordering. If you’re unsure of your size, we recommend visiting a local jeweler for a professional measurement before placing your order. Fire & Stone cannot be held responsible for made-to-order rings that are crafted true to the size provided but do not fit as expected.