Tortoise shell

Tortoise Shell
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Tortoise shell is the name for the outer blades covering the upper shell of the Hawksbill turtle and the Loggerhead turtle. Tortoise shell has been valued for use in jewelry since Roman times.

TORTOISE SHELL
Tortoise shell is the shell of a tortoise. It was used in the 1800's for jewelry, hair combs, and other ornaments but is banned today. Tortoise shell inlaid with precious metals is called pique.

Tortoise shell
Although we use the term "tortoise shell", in reality the carapace of a turtle or tortoise is actually not a bit like the shell of a mollusk, but is chemically and structurally most similar to horn.

Tortoise shell
A popular material for 19th century jewelry and haircombs, tortoiseshell was banned and is no longer used for these items. There are very close plastic imitations of tortoiseshell.

Tortoise Shell - A mottled brown shell material with a spotted, striped, or sometimes even speckled pattern.
Translucent - Material that allows light to pass but which is not considered transparent to human sight.

Tortoise shell
A term used in costume jewelry to denote lucite that has a honey to brown color with black spotting, imitating the look of thinly sliced tortoise shell in antique jewelry.

PIQUE
Pique is a tortoise shell inlaid with precious metal (usually gold or silver). Pique is made by inserting hot metal into the tortoise shell; the hot metal melts the shell upon contact.

A decorative style popular in the 18th and 19th centuries of inlaying tortoise shell with a pattern of gold and silver. Tortoise shell melts like plastic when exposed to heat.

Abalone shells have a dichroic, tortoise shell like appearance. They are a source of mother of pearl.
Gemstone Physical Characteristics: ...

Pique' A process whereby authentic tortoise shell was heated, softened, and then a strip of sterling silver flowers or geometric patterns were inlaid into the shell. Popular in the 17th century and then again in the mid to late 1800s.

Celluloid can also be dyed to resemble coral, tortoise shell, amber, malachite and other natural stones. Should not be confused with the harder plastics such as Bakelite or Catalin.

Other materials used in making Mourning jewelry included bog oak, a dark brown wood found in Ireland, brass for bases, tortoise shell, gold, silver, ivory, and black enamel, pinchbeck, an alloy of copper and zinc and rolled gold.

Inlaying of gold or silver into genuine tortoise shell, ivory or horn.
platinum
A soft, heavy, gray metal that can be highly polished. At times platinum has a higher value than gold.

The divers would use underwater goggles made from polished tortoise shells, and wore a bone clip to close their nostrils, and ear stoppers made of beeswax. Facing barracuda, sharks and poisonous jelly fish, divers would make 50 to 60 dives per day.

Simulated Tortoise
A synthetic material resembling the mottled brown and yellow color found on tortoise shells.

Organic Gem
Matter that is not technically a gemstone, but is derived from animal or plant life. Organic gems include amber, coral, ivory, pearl and tortoise shell among others.

For evening wear gold and jewels reigned, but during the day less expensive ivory, tortoise shell, seed pearl, and coral were the appropriate choices.

The shell of molluscs is generally referred to, when applied to objects of jewelry (e.g. brooches and finger rings), as 'shell', but that of turtles as tortoise shell. Shell is sometimes carved as a cameo.

It was gaudy, rich, lush and ornate. It was more a reflection of wealth than taste. Matching suites, cabochons of four or more pieces were in. Ivory, tortoise shell, seed pearls and coral were in demand.

See also: Jewel, Jewelry, Metal, Pearl, Silver