I recently purchased a pendant made of ox bone, and it seems to smell rather strongly and unpleasantly. Is this normal for ox bone? How can I safely de-stink it? I was thinking about just sticking it outside to air out. Would heat or humidity damage it?
And while I’m asking, how should I care for it in general? Cleaning, storage, etc. Should I coat it with a finish or something to protect/seal it?
Thank you very much.
Well-cleaned bone is odorless. Smell means there’s fat / assorted soft tissue left in the bone. Not good. I think the jewelry maker should’ve tossed the piece instead of selling it. I have no idea how to get rid of the smell without ruining the piece. Bone cracks readily at high heat and often twists out of shape if wetted and dried. I have never coated my bone works with anything, simply buffed them to a high polish. Lots of the bone available is not of high enough quality to make much anything out of.
Oh ew. I really liked it too. I’ll give the airing out a try and if that doesn’t work, maybe I’ll try making a polymer clay mold of it so I can make myself a non-smelly one.
Thanks guys.