http://www.rubylane.com/shops/antiquesuncommontreasure/ilist/,cs=Antiques:Antique+Tortoise+Shell+Items,id=1%2e10%0d,page=1.html http://jck.polygon.net/archives/1998/05/jc058-129.html SEA TURTLES All seven species of sea turtles were placed on the CITES Appendix I list in 1975. The material used in jewelry comes from the shell of one of these species, the hawksbill sea turtle. Many decorative articles, inlaid furniture, dresser sets, belts, combs and jewelry rely on tortoiseshell for their interesting character and beauty. A technique known as piqué, originally used in the 17th century, was applied to jewelry and popularized in the mid to late 19th century. Tortoiseshell was softened with heat, then inlaid with gold and/or silver in floral or geometric patterns. The technique using inlaid strips of metal cut into ornate designs is called piqué posé. Piqué point refers to dots or other small geometric shapes inlaid in an overall pattern. In addition to Victorian pieces, some Mexican jewelry is set with tortoiseshell that has been inlaid with metal or mother-of-pearl. Identifying tortoiseshell. Plastic is a common simulant for tortoiseshell. Plastic usually has a regular and repeating pattern, whereas genuine tortoiseshell has a random pattern. When viewed with a loupe, natural tortoiseshell looks like many small dots and has no mold lines. When warmed with hot water, tortoiseshell smells like wet fur or hair. The richly patterned scutes that cover the carapace and plastron of the hawksbill are called tortoiseshell or bekko . They have been considered a precious material — on a par with ivory, rhinoceros horn, gold, and gems — for thousands of years. Parsons (1972) chronicled the ancient and modern history of trade in tortoiseshell beginning with the expeditions of Queen Hatsheput in the 15th century B.C. Tortoiseshell was revered by the ancient Egyptians, Romans, Arabs, and Chinese, and major trading centers were located from the Mediterranean to Guangzhou (Canton). It was one of the most frequently mentioned commodities in a guide to Eastern trade written between 40 and 70 A.D. (Parsons, 1972). In the Middle Ages, Sri Lanka served as a center of trade and transshipment for the Indian Ocean region, employing Arab, Indian, Javanese, and Chinese traders (Parsons, 1972). Tortoiseshell was used for a variety of purposes, including the manufacture of combs, brooches, and other items of adornment, and as a veneer or inlay in furniture and woodwork. Hawksbills used in the ancient trade were drawn from remote corners of the world, including Borneo, Sulawesi, the Moluccas, and the eastern coast of Africa (Parsons, 1972).