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Stabilizing Treatments

All of these materials are somewhat porous and readily absorb moisture and skin oils. This can lead to cracking in a few of these materials. Absorption of moisture can be avoided by coating or pressure impregnating the material with a substance such as bee’s wax or a hypoallergenic sealant. I would not recommend oiling ivory or horn jewelry as it will tend to promote cracking rather than deter it.

Skin oils make these materials more flexible. With designs such as the captive bead ring, this can result in lost beads if the carver does not adjust for expansion. I recommend using a coating or some type of pressure treatment to prevent the ring from becoming flexible. Untreated captive bead rings should be very tight before they have been worn. If you are afraid of breaking an untreated ring you should wear the ring without the bead for about a day to soften the ring.