About elephant hair jewelry, here’s a short story from a book:
“In 1923, when I was about to go back to Ceylon, I visited him […] Among several very original and a little particular costume jewels, he showed me a wide range of strange jewels made with a new material : elephant hair. […] Another piece of jewelry was a large gold ring, like a wedding ring with four attached hairs. It could be pulled apart and two rings would appear where one thought one. “
Ceylon, Gem Island, Elie L. Menasche
So it seems that “elephant hair jewelry” appeared in France in the 1920s. You can come across these jewelry from time to time but they are not common. In the 1970s beautiful pieces were produced (see Fred’s bracelets and rings), but in 1975 CITES law prohibited the trade in elephant hair, among other organic materials.
Elephant hair is a beautiful, dark, thick material that pairs incredibly well with yellow gold. As it is rare and from a living being, enjoy your jewelry even more and take good care of it.
