Arabic is where we can establish the etymological origin of the term ivory. Exactly it derives from the Hispanic Arabic "azm alfí", which can be translated as "elephant bone".
The concept is used with reference to the white and very hard matter that makes up the teeth of mammalian animals .
In the root area, the ivory is covered by cementum , while in the crown it is protected by enamel . Whitish in color - although it turns yellowish over the years - it has different bands that correspond to growth lines.
Ivory, also known as dentin , is among the hardest tissues in the body. Most of the dental organ is made up of this substance.
Due to its characteristics, ivory is used to carve artistic or decorative objects . Ivory obtained from elephant tusks is the best known, although throughout history ivory from hippopotamuses , walruses and other species have also been used.
For decades there has been a fierce fight to obtain ivory, which is then used to shape different objects of great value. Hence, thousands of elephants are shot every year for their tusks. And it is estimated that for each one of these you can pay a whopping 4,800 euros on the black market.
This circumstance has been reflected in cinema through numerous films. One of these is the one titled "The Ivory Hunt", which premiered in 2016 and is directed by Kief Davidson. Specifically, it is a documentary, produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, that revolves around illegal ivory hunting and the corruption plots that exist around it.
In the past, ivory was used to make jacket buttons, billiard balls and piano keys. Combs, brushes and other objects were also produced. However, due to the large number of animals killed to obtain ivory, over the years restrictions and prohibitions were established on the marketing of this material.
It should also be stated that there is the expression "ivory teeth", which is used to indicate that someone has perfect and very white teeth. That expression is included, for example, in the song "El emigrante" that Juanito Valderrama popularized back in 1949. Exactly the song goes like this: "I have to make a rosary with your ivory teeth, so that I can kiss it when it is far from you."
Ivory Coast , on the other hand, is a country in Africa that has Yamoussoukro as its capital. Nearly 23 million inhabitants live in this nation whose name, coined by the French conquerors, is due to the trade in ivory obtained from African elephants in the region.