How to spot it

Fashion and decorative items made from endangered species come in many different forms so it's not possible to provide detailed advice for every example but here are some pointers:

Ivory

If you see ivory for sale in the UK it must be covered by a licence issued by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Animal Health Dept, permitting the sale, or it must be antique. If it's an unworked tusk, it must have a permit even if it is an antique.

The law requires anybody selling an antique made from an endangered species to show that the item was made before 1 June 1947. So it's not enough to just say that it's that old and, if you are thinking of buying an ivory (or other endangered species) antique you should ask to see some provenance or the Defra permit.

Download our information for antiques traders on endangered species (PDF, 101Kb).

Antique markets can provide an outlet for the illegal ivory trade and the police have seized some new ivory from markets where it was being sold as antique. Sometimes these items are deliberately stained to make them appear to be a darker colour and older than they actually are.

Shahtoosh

Shahtoosh can be identified by its extremely soft feel but it's not easy to distinguish from other wools like pashmina unless you are used to it. However, the price is a good indication of authenticity. In London, a genuine shahtoosh shawl is likely to be priced between £1,000 and £15,000, depending on the size and the amount of embroidery in the shawl. The very best pashmina is unlikely to cost anything like this amount.

A genuine shahtoosh will often have a “weavers mark” embroidered on it, usually somewhere around the edge of the shawl. This is a kind of trade mark which will identify the weaver to others in the trade and is used to show that the shawl is genuine.

Shahtoosh shawls are sometimes called “ring shawls” because they are said to be the only shawls fine enough to pull through a finger ring. However, we have found that it is also possible to do this with some pashminas but the police would want to follow up any reports of “ring shawls” on sale in London so, if you come across this, please let us know.

Animal Skins

Some endangered animals skins are sold in London in different forms from rugs and stuffed specimens (taxidermy) to handbags and purses. There are also many replicas and “look alike” products so it's important to know the difference.

Sometimes the skins of common or domestic animals are painted to resemble exotic wild animal species and in these cases, the markings will only appear on the surface and this can be checked by parting the fur to see if the markings go beneath the surface.

As with ivory, some new skins are sold on the basis that they are old. It's not always easy to tell but skins are more fragile than ivory and an old skin is likely to show signs of wear and tear and fading. A new skin is likely to be in much better condition and a genuine new skin will have a much higher price tag.