Woolly Mammoth Fossil Ivory Heart Totem Pendant | Ice Age Treasures

I carved this Heart Totem pendant from a small fragment of woolly mammoth fossil ivory, free form shaping and carving small hearts and inking with black India ink. I made the bail and topped it with a natural quartz citrine bead. The pairing brings a quiet warmth to a one-of-a-kind piece, with an ancient material at its center. Beautiful mineralization.

My fossil ivory comes from The Boneyard Alaska, material from extinct Ice Age animals dating 12,000–40,000 years old. No modern animals are harmed. Working with these fragments lets me give each small piece a new purpose while keeping its connection to the mammoth it once belonged to.

For me, this pendant holds two stories together: the long history of the ivory and the personal meaning a heart can carry for the person who wears it.