ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 3

The Nondestructive Identification of Ivory-Like Seal Materials
Shimoyama, M
Forensic scientists, Forensic Science Laboratory, Hyogo Prefectural Police Headquarters,

Ninomiya, T
Forensic scientists, Forensic Science Laboratory, Hyogo Prefectural Police Headquarters,

Hamanaga, Y
Forensic scientists, Forensic Science Laboratory, Hyogo Prefectural Police Headquarters,

Ozaki, Y
Professor, School of Science, Kwansei-Gakuin University,

(Received 5 July 1996; accepted 9 September 1996)

Abstract

As nondestructive identification techniques, optical microscopic observation, microscopic fluorescence spectroscopy, and specific gravity measurement were applied to examine evidentiary ivory-like seal materials. The cross-hatching pattern, which is known to be characteristic on the cross section of genuine elephant ivory, could be observed on each evidentiary ivory-like seal material, and the evidentiary seal materials were concluded to be made of soft-type African elephant ivory on the correlation of microscopic fluorescence intensity and specific gravity. This technique is novel and useful in inferring the source of African elephant ivory.

Keywords:
forensic science, criminalistics, ivory, seal material, nondestructive analysis, microscopic fluorescence spectroscopy, specific gravity

Paper ID: JFS14144J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS14144J
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