Tortoiseshell blond

Blond tortoiseshell comes fi-om the scutes on the belly of the turde, which are a pale honey colour and almost transparent. They are thin, and several must be welded together in layers for the material to be thick enough to work. 

Figure S.5 Three tortoiseshell boxes left, on vhite basej bottom, blond tight, natural.

Figure 8.14 Blond tortoiseshell under crossed-polars.

Blond tortoiseshell can be difficult to identify. It lacks the striations of horn, but looks very like clear, dark honey-coloured plastic. It is usually made into fine pieces such as boxes or dressing table sets, often with gold or silver pique work. Plastic would not be used in this way. Seen through a lOx lens by transmitted light, blond tortoiseshell looks less clear than plastic. 

Ultraviolet light. The first of the two tests that does not in any way harm the material is to view it under UV light. Both tortoiseshell and horn show a slight fluorescence, especially in the blond areas, whereas plastic - with the exception of casein - is inert. 

Blond tortoiseshell Even honey Translucent Minimal Coloured spots Slight beige fluorescence... 

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