Dear Donia,
How do I get rid of moldy, musty smell on ivory jewelry?
Q. Dear Donia,
How do I get rid of moldy, musty smell on ivory jewelry? Thanks, Eva
A. Dear Eva,
Great question! As you know, ivory is the product of a living animal and is porous, thus it absorbs odors. The easiest and safest way to reduce the odor in the ivory is to use Microchamber paper. This paper absorbs and traps odors and does not leave any sort of residue on the ivory. You can purchase this paper from Conservation Resources (MicroChamber Interleaving Paper .0025 - .0028", 65g/m2). Simply wrap each individual piece of jewelry in the paper and leave it sit. After about a month, you can change the paper and leave it sit again, this time for 2 months. Keep repeating until the odor is reduced. Good luck!