Ivory Piano Keys and The Law

Macauley Sykes
4 days ago
10 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Before the advent of modern plastics and synthetic substitutes, piano makers relied on natural materials that could meet the demanding requirements of durability, workability, and aesthetics.

Ivory, in particular, became a favoured choice for piano keys during the 18th and 19th centuries. Harvested primarily from elephant (African and Asian) tusks, it offered a unique combination of properties that few other materials could match at the time.

Its dense yet finely grained structure allowed skilled craftsmen to saw, plane, and polish it into the delicate, thin veneers needed for key coverings without it cracking or warping easily. Unlike many early materials, ivory also resisted yellowing and wear remarkably well, maintaining a clean, elegant appearance for decades if properly cared for. Its lightly textured, naturally porous surface also provided just the right amount of grip and tactile feedback under a player’s fingers, something that musicians valued highly for expressive playing and confident technique. In an era when plastic polymers were not yet available, ivory’s blend of strength, workability, and visual appeal made it the practical and prestigious standard for fine piano manufacture around the world.

Until the mid-1900s, few viable alternatives matched ivory’s qualities. Early plastics such as celluloid or galalith (erinoid) were sometimes used, but they could warp, crack or discolour more easily than ivory. It wasn’t until the development of robust synthetic keytops in the latter half of the 20th century that piano manufacturers fully phased out ivory in favour of modern materials, a change driven by not just technological progress but ever-growing awareness of the need to protect elephants and other wildlife.

For owners, ivory keys can raise a complicated mix of feelings: respect for the instrument’s history, discomfort about its origins, and uncertainty about what’s legally allowed when it comes to repairs, restorations, or selling. Public attitudes and laws have evolved significantly over the last few decades.

The reality of the ivory trade — its devastating contribution to the decline of wild elephant populations and the threat it poses to species survival — is now much more widely understood. This growing awareness has driven a global push for stricter controls on ivory trade and use, and the UK has become one of the leaders in tightening its rules to protect wildlife.

Evolution of Ivory Legislation in the UK

For much of the 20th century, there were few restrictions on buying, selling, or transporting ivory in the UK. Antique dealers, piano makers, and other industries that relied on ivory generally operated without significant legal oversight. However, as conservation groups and the wider public became more aware of the devastating impact of poaching on elephant populations, international and national measures gradually began to tighten.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international treaty regulating trade in endangered plants and animals (including ivory), was signed on 3 March 1973. The United Kingdom ratified the treaty in 1975, and it entered into force for the UK on 31 October 1976, through the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976.

This domestic legislation regulated the import, export, and certain domestic trade of live animals listed in the CITES appendices, their parts, and products derived from them, including ivory, skins, and mounted specimens. As an EU member, the UK also implemented CITES obligations through EU Wildlife Trade Regulations, which provided more detailed and harmonised rules than the older national act.

Under CITES and its implementation in the UK and EU, ivory could be legally traded if it could be proven to be “pre-Convention” — meaning it came from an animal killed before the species was listed under CITES (for African elephants, generally before 1975) — or, more commonly, if it was classified as a worked antique, typically with the standard cut-off of being worked before 3 March 1947. These exceptions were intended to allow legitimate trade in genuinely historic items, such as antique piano keys, furniture inlays, and carved artworks, while banning the trade in newer ivory.

Over the following decades, conservation efforts highlighted loopholes that allowed illegally poached ivory to enter markets disguised as antiques or pre-Convention stock.

By the late 1980s, it was clear that the supposedly regulated international trade in African elephant ivory had failed catastrophically. In just a decade, Africa’s elephant population was more than halved, from an estimated 1.3 million in the late 1970s to around 600,000 by 1988. Rampant poaching fed a corrupt trade, and by 1988, it was estimated that over 90% of ivory in international commerce originated from illegally killed elephants, despite official quotas and controls.

In response, both the UK government and the European Union gradually tightened restrictions on the trade in raw tusks and newly worked ivory. The U.S. Congress also passed the African Elephant Conservation Act, which gave the President the power to ban the import of African elephant ivory into the U.S. for commercial purposes.

A major turning point in the UK came with the passage of the Ivory Act 2018, widely regarded as one of the toughest ivory bans in the world. This legislation was designed to protect remaining elephant populations by shutting down both legal and illegal ivory markets, cutting off demand, and closing the loopholes that had previously allowed freshly carved ivory to be misrepresented as antique. After some delays and legal challenges, the Act came into full force on 6 June 2022.

On 28th January 2025, the Ivory Act 2018 was expanded to include four additional ivory‑bearing species, bringing the total to five protected groups:

Elephant - Loxodonta africana and Elephas maximus
Killer whale (orca) - Orcinus orca
Common/River hippopotamus - Hippopotamus amphibius
Sperm whale - Physeter macrocephalus
Common hippopotamus - Hippopotamus amphibius

What Piano Owners Need to Know Today

Under the UK’s Ivory Act 2018, it is now an offence to buy, sell, hire out, or otherwise commercially "deal" in almost any item that contains elephant ivory unless particular conditions are met and the item is then properly registered with the government.

There is an important exemption for certain pianos, but it is strict and comes with clear rules.

The piano may qualify for an exemption if it meets the following conditions:

The total ivory content must be less than 20% of the instrument’s volume. This covers nearly all traditional pianos, where ivory is typically just a thin veneer on the keys.
The instrument must have been made before 1975.
This cut-off aligns with the year elephants received full international protection under CITES. Any piano made later than this cannot qualify for the exemption, no matter how small the amount of ivory.

NOTE: If the piano qualifies for exemption, it must then be registered before it can be legally sold (including advertised for sale, displayed for sale in a shop or gallery) or hired out.

The piano will need further documentation (e.g CITES permit) in order to be exported.

If you're looking to buy a piano with ivory keys, no matter its age, you must make sure it's certified as exempt and registered before you take ownership of it, or you (and the seller) could be breaking the law.

How to Register Your Piano

If you plan to sell or transfer ownership of an older piano with ivory keys, you must:

Gather evidence of age. This might include a dated receipt, an original invoice, serial numbers that match the maker’s production records, or expert written confirmation from a reputable piano specialist.
Photograph the instrument and the ivory keys clearly. Good quality images showing the full keyboard and any visible ivory details help support your registration and avoid delays.
Submit an online application to APHA. You can do this through the government’s ivory registration portal. The Digital Ivory Service is an online platform provided by the UK government that allows individuals to register or apply for exemption certificates for items containing ivory. There is a fee per item. Once accepted, you’ll receive a unique certificate or registration number that must accompany the piano if it is sold, advertised, or exported.
Keep all documentation safe. If you sell the piano, the certificate must transfer to the new owner. If you don’t have a valid registration, selling or hiring out the piano is illegal, regardless of how long you’ve owned it or how you came to acquire it.

When Does a Piano Not Need to Be Registered?

You do not need to register your ivory-keyed piano if you are not "dealing" in it, that is, if you are simply keeping and using it for your own private, non-commercial purposes.

You do not need to register your piano if:

You are keeping it for personal use at home.
You are playing it privately or in a concert, without selling or hiring it out.
You are not advertising it for sale, not lending it for payment, and not transferring ownership to anyone else.
You are passing it down within your immediate family without payment.

What Counts as “Dealing” in Ivory?

Under the Ivory Act 2018, “dealing” in ivory is defined very broadly. It covers any commercial activity involving ivory, including:

Buying or selling an ivory item. This includes paying money, exchanging it for goods or services, or swapping it for something else of value.
Hiring out an ivory item. For example, lending an ivory-keyed piano or an ivory-decorated object for payment.
Offering or arranging to buy, sell, or hire out an ivory item. This includes advertising it for sale, displaying it in a shop, or inviting offers.
Causing, arranging, or helping someone else to buy, sell, or hire it. Acting as an agent or intermediary is covered.
Importing or exporting ivory to sell, hire out, or otherwise transfer ownership.

These tighter rules mean that anyone dealing with an ivory-keyed piano, as the law defines it, must be fully aware of their legal responsibilities and follow the correct procedures.

Why This Matters

Failing to register an ivory-keyed piano before trading it can result in severe penalties: fines of up to £250,000, seizure of the piano, and a possible prison sentence. Even accidental breaches can cause complications if you ever need to ship your piano abroad or sell it through an auction house.

That’s why it’s strongly recommended to work with a reputable, knowledgeable firm like Sykes & Sons. We can help you confirm whether your piano qualifies for the exemption, guide you through the registration process, and ensure your instrument remains fully compliant with the law, giving you peace of mind.

How to Tell the Difference Between Ivory Piano Keys and Synthetic Materials

Identifying whether your piano keys are real ivory or a man-made substitute can be tricky, but there are some reliable clues.

Look for a grain pattern
Ivory: Natural elephant ivory usually shows a subtle, irregular grain called Schreger lines — faint cross-hatch or wavy lines when you look closely under good light or with a magnifying glass. They appear as fine intersecting lines or an irregular mesh, especially near the edges.
Plastic or celluloid: Synthetic keytops are smooth and uniform. Modern plastics have no grain lines. Early celluloid sometimes mimics grain but is usually more regular and glossy.
Keytops made from Ivory. Notice: distinctive grain pattern, visible join lines, slight texture, warm matte surface, and varied yellowing
Check the key top’s construction
Ivory: Piano ivory was nearly always made as two pieces:
The head (the broad playing surface) and the tail (the narrow strip extending back). You can often see a very thin, neat join between these two pieces on each key.
Plastic: Most plastic or resin keytops are a single moulded piece with no join line.
Keytops made from plastic. Note: no grain, one-piece construction, flat surface, and uniform colour.
Feel and sound
Ivory: Feels slightly porous, with a soft, matte warmth under your fingertip. When you tap it lightly with your fingernail, it makes a crisper, less plasticky click than modern resin.
Plastic: Feels slicker and more uniform; new plastics are glassy smooth and colder to the touch.

Colour and ageing
Ivory: Naturally yellows over time, giving older ivory keys a warm, off-white or creamy tone. Each key can age slightly differently, so they’re rarely perfectly uniform.
Plastic: Tends to stay more evenly white (or yellow uniformly if it’s old celluloid). Modern plastic won’t develop the same irregular patina.
The hot needle test ( not recommended for valuable pianos!)
A traditional test for antique ivory (but NOT advisable for piano keys): Gently heat a fine needle and touch an inconspicuous spot. Plastic will melt or give off a chemical smell; real ivory will scorch slightly but won’t melt. Risky: This can damage the key and is not needed if you use the other methods.

When in doubt: If you need to confirm for legal, insurance, or resale reasons, always ask a qualified piano technician or restoration expert. They can identify the material without damaging your instrument.

Ethical Alternatives and Restoration at Sykes & Sons

While ivory was once considered the gold standard for piano keys, today’s advanced materials offer the same playability without the ethical or legal concerns. Modern high-quality plastic keytops and composite surfaces have evolved far beyond early celluloid and imitation ivory. Today’s synthetics are durable, stable, and carefully engineered to replicate the smooth feel and slight grip that discerning pianists appreciate.

At Sykes & Sons, we bring specialised expertise to both the preservation of original ivory and the installation of modern key coverings. When restoring heritage pianos, we can stabilise and secure loose ivory veneers, fill missing sections with precisely colour-matched synthetic compounds, and expertly texture, shape, and polish each repair by hand to blend seamlessly with the surrounding ivory.

For pianos where the original ivory is too worn or damaged for cost-effective restoration, or the client wants it removed for their own reasons, we offer complete keyboard recovering. This involves meticulously removing the old key coverings, processing the key sticks (to maintain original dimensions) and fitting new, high-grade synthetic tops, which are then carefully aligned, levelled, and polished to ensure flawless touch and appearance.

Our team understands the historical and sentimental value of older instruments, as well as the need to fully comply with today’s ivory legislation. We can advise whether your piano qualifies for legal exemptions, assist with registration, and restore or re-cover your keyboard using the best modern materials and time-honoured craftsmanship.

Our Commitment to Wildlife Protection and Legal Compliance

At Sykes & Sons Pianos, we wholeheartedly support the UK’s strengthened restrictions on the ivory trade, not only because we must comply, but because we genuinely care about the welfare of wildlife and the preservation of our natural world. While we believe there is always more that can be done to close loopholes and ensure robust enforcement, we stand firmly behind the principles of the Ivory Act and its recent expansions. Protecting elephants and other endangered species must remain a top priority, and we are proud to do our part within the piano community.

We also recognise that the law can seem daunting or confusing, especially for piano owners, sellers, buyers, and collectors who have inherited or invested in instruments containing historic ivory. That’s why we are committed to sharing clear, up-to-date information and practical guidance to help people stay compliant. Whether you need advice on registering a pre-1975 instrument, clarifying an exemption, or understanding whether replacement work is possible, our team is always here to guide you responsibly and transparently.

Furthermore, Sykes & Sons Pianos vows to play an active role in protecting the integrity of the industry. Should we ever encounter suspected illegal ivory dealing or deliberate attempts to circumvent the law, we will report such activities to the relevant authorities and provide any evidence necessary to support enforcement action. We believe this commitment not only safeguards wildlife but also upholds the trust and confidence our clients place in us. By combining skilled restoration with genuine respect for conservation, we ensure that heritage pianos can be enjoyed legally and ethically for generations to come.