On this page
UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Natural organic and biogenic materials · Organic or biogenic material · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Horn
A collective term for horn material from bovids or wild hoofed animals; a specific name should be used only once the species and source are confirmed. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Horn forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify HornHow far lab testing can go
- Treatments and enhancements of Horn2 registered treatments: status, stability, how common they are and identification leads
- Caring for and wearing HornCleaning, heat, chemicals and light, as the cited sources give them
- Hardness of HornEach value with its source and check date
- Horn in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name, names in national standards; and: Which of GIA, FTC, CIBJO and Gem-A have a name for it on record, and do those agree?
- Listing and disclosing HornThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
'Horn' denotes the keratinous material forming the head appendages of bovids and wild ungulates. It grows through continuous deposition and growth at the horn's base: in cattle, a keratin sheath covers a bony core, and this sheath is made of alpha-keratin, a fibrous structural protein that also occurs in hair, nails, claws and hooves. The horn sheath is lamellar in structure (about 2–5 micrometres thick), the lamellae being stacked radially, with tubules (roughly 40x100 micrometres in diameter) scattered among the lamellae and running the length of the horn in the direction of growth. Horn is thus not a mineral but a biologically produced organic material; these facts come from experimental work on the horn sheaths of Bos taurus and on the horns of the desert bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis.
Scope: Applies to an overview of the composition, microstructure and mechanical properties of horn as a keratinous biological material from bovids and wild ungulates; sources cover only bovid horn sheaths and desert bighorn sheep horn samples, and the record does not include species identification or assessment of the legality of origin.
Sources Journal article (horn keratin) · Journal article (cattle horn sheath)
Where it forms
The head horn of cattle — a keratinous sheath overlying a bony core.
Sources Journal article (cattle horn sheath)
The horns of the desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) — the sample studied experimentally.
Sources Journal article (cattle horn sheath)
How it forms, step by step
The horn grows continually from its base as alpha-keratin is deposited to form the sheath.
Sources Journal article (horn keratin)
A lamellar structure forms, stacked in the radial direction, with lamellae about 2–5 micrometres thick.
Sources Journal article (horn keratin)
Tubules of roughly 40x100 micrometres in diameter arise between the lamellae and run the length of the horn, following the growth direction.
Sources Journal article (horn keratin)
Link to appearance
Horn shows a lamellar-and-tubular microstructure whose strength and elastic modulus are anisotropic and correlated with the orientation of the tubules; hydration markedly affects its mechanical properties, with rehydrated samples showing significant loss of strength and modulus.
Sources Journal article (cattle horn sheath)
Timescale
The sources are mechanical experiments and give no absolute timescale for horn growth or formation.
Sources Journal article (horn keratin)
Related base materials
- Alpha-keratin (α-keratin): Horn is a biological material composed of this fibrous structural protein; 'horn' is the collective material name
Supporting findings
In cattle, the horn consists of a keratinous sheath that sits over a core of bone.
Evidence grade AScope: Describes the biological make-up of bovine horn; not species identification.
Sources Journal article (cattle horn sheath)
Other research findings
Horn is composed of alpha-keratin, a fibrous structural protein also found in hair, nails, claws and hooves.
Evidence grade AScope: Describes horn composition; horn is a biological material, not a mineral.
Sources Journal article (horn keratin)
Horn has a lamellar structure (about 2–5 micrometres thick) stacked radially, with tubules (about 40x100 micrometres in diameter) dispersed between the lamellae and extending along the growth direction.
Evidence grade AScope: A microstructural description of horn, based on bighorn sheep samples.
Sources Journal article (horn keratin)
"Horn" is the keratinous biological material of bovids or wild ungulates and is a higher-level collective name for an animal-derived organic material, not a mineral species; it must be distinguished from other biological materials such as ivory and tortoiseshell, and species and legality of origin require separate identification.
Evidence grade BScope: A naming and material-classification statement; the cited sources cover only Bos taurus and Ovis canadensis.
Sources Journal article (horn keratin) · Journal article (cattle horn sheath)
The mechanical properties of the horn sheath depend on water content: as water content falls from 19% to 0%, the Young's modulus rises from about 850 MPa to about 2.3 GPa and the tensile strength from about 40 MPa to about 154 MPa.
Evidence grade AScope: Laboratory mechanical data for cattle horn sheaths.
Sources Journal article (cattle horn sheath)
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- Both cited sources are peer-reviewed abstracts on mechanics/microstructure; they do not cover species identification, farmed/wild origin, or trade legality.
- "Horn" is a higher-level collective name; different species (bovids, antelope, rhinoceros horn, etc.) differ in material and legal status, and this record does not generalize across them.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Horn (state the species and any treatments)
GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.1 b) · CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 §7.2.2.5 “Horn”
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments recorded for this material: Impregnated
Related:Disclosure and cautions
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
Horn (general material) is often subjected to impregnation. Under GB/T 16552-2017, impregnation is graded by the material used, and must be stated in the name wherever it counts as a treatment (§5.4.1, Table 1). Do not assume it is unenhanced.
Evidence
- GB/T · 5.1.1 b)
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Horn (state the species and any treatments)" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- See “Disclosure and cautions” above
- Disclosure rules for the treatments above can change as authorities update their standards; re-check before relying on this page.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Care and wear
Normal care for every gemstone (CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.1), in brief:
- Handle it gently.
- Store pieces apart when not worn, so they cannot scratch each other.
- Clean with warm soapy water and a soft brush.
- Use ultrasonic cleaners only with caution.
The §6.1 wording and the full list of §6.2 special-care letters cited on this page are on the general gem care page.
Care
Horn — care (cleaning): Some stones are susceptible to damage from ultrasonic cleaning. Do not expose them to ultrasonic cleaning.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code j
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) (CIBJO): §8 Annex C, Horn, p.56-57; §6.2 j (locator checked 2026-09-25)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Horn — care (light): may fade or revert to its original colour in strong light; do not wear or leave it in strong light for extended periods.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code f
- Treatment state
- treated
- Only after these treatments
- dyeing, surface waxing
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) (CIBJO): §8 Annex C, Horn, p.56-57; §6.2 f (locator checked 2026-09-25)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Horn — care (chemicals): dissolves on contact with solvents such as nail varnish remover; keep it away from all solvents and other strong chemicals.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code i
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) (CIBJO): §8 Annex C, Horn, p.56-57; §6.2 i (locator checked 2026-09-25)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Horn — care (chemicals): Some stones are porous. Do not allow contact with coloured fluids.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code c
- Treatment state
- treated
- Only after these treatments
- bleaching, dyeing, surface waxing
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) (CIBJO): §8 Annex C, Horn, p.56-57; §6.2 c (locator checked 2026-09-25)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Horn — care (chemicals): Some stones are porous. Do not allow contact with coloured fluids.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code c
- Treatment state
- untreated
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) (CIBJO): §8 Annex C, Horn, p.56-57; §6.2 c (locator checked 2026-09-25)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Horn — care (chemicals): Treatments with dye, oil, resin, wax or plastic are not permanent; keep it away from all solvents (including dish-washing liquids), chemicals and heat.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code k
- Treatment state
- treated
- Only after these treatments
- dyeing, impregnation, surface waxing
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) (CIBJO): §8 Annex C, Horn, p.56-57; §6.2 k (locator checked 2026-09-25)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Horn — care (wear): Some stones are prone to scratching due to low hardness. Wear them with care.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code a
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) (CIBJO): §8 Annex C, Horn, p.56-57; §6.2 a (locator checked 2026-09-25)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Horn — care (re-cutting): Stones with superficial colour and surface layers are not suitable for re-cutting or re-polishing.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code m
- Treatment state
- untreated
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) (CIBJO): §8 Annex C, Horn, p.56-57; §6.2 m (locator checked 2026-09-25)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Common care questions and matching entries
CleaningHorn: the CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) states that, regardless of treatment status, Horn should not be cleaned ultrasonically; regardless of treatment status, Horn dissolves on contact with solvents such as nail-polish remover, so keep it away from all solvents and other harsh chemicals; regardless of treatment status, Horn is soft and scratches easily, so wear it with care. LightDyed or surface-waxed Horn may fade or revert to its original colour in strong light, so do not wear or leave it in strong light for extended periods. ChemicalsBleached, dyed or surface-waxed Horn is porous, so keep it away from coloured liquids; untreated Horn is porous, so keep it away from coloured liquids. For dyed, impregnated or surface-waxed Horn, treatments with dye, oil, resin, wax or plastic are not permanent, so Horn must be kept away from all solvents (including all detergents), chemicals and heat. Repair and recuttingUntreated Horn with surface colouring or a surface layer is not suitable for recutting or repolishing.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Question | Matching entries |
|---|---|
| Can it go in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner? | care (cleaning) |
| Light and display | may fade or revert to its original colour in strong light; do not wear or leave it in strong light for extended periods |
| Contact with acids, alkalis and household chemicals | dissolves on contact with solvents such as nail varnish remover; keep it away from all solvents and other strong chemicals; care (chemicals); care (chemicals); Treatments with dye, oil, resin, wax or plastic are not permanent; keep it away from all solvents (including dish-washing liquids), chemicals and heat |
| Wearing limits (knocks, settings) | care (wear) |
Care entries by treatment state
The same entries grouped by the treatment state each applies to; each links to its full wording and source. Letters are CIBJO special-care codes, explained on the gemstone care page.
any treatment state
- care (cleaning) §6.2 j
- dissolves on contact with solvents such as nail varnish remover; keep it away from all solvents and other strong chemicals §6.2 i
- care (wear) §6.2 a
untreated
- care (chemicals) §6.2 c
- care (re-cutting) §6.2 m
treated (Only after these treatments: dyeing, surface waxing)
treated (Only after these treatments: bleaching, dyeing, surface waxing)
- care (chemicals) §6.2 c
treated (Only after these treatments: dyeing, impregnation, surface waxing)
Treatments and identification leads
Registered treatmentsThe registered treatments for Horn are surface waxing and impregnation. Stability and frequencySurface waxing has the status treated, stability unstable and prevalence occasional. Impregnation has the status treated, stability unstable and prevalence common. Values not givenThe identification leads and source for both are recorded as “—”, which in the register means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Treatment | Market frequency (CIBJO) | Stability (CIBJO) | GB/T 16552 category | JJA/AGL listing | Identification leads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| surface waxingStatus: treated | occasionally | unstable | — | — | — |
| impregnationStatus: treated | commonly | unstable | — | — | — |
Where each treatment acts (schematics): Waxed · Impregnated
“—” means the cited source gives no value for that item, not “none”. Source: CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Whether a treatment has to show in the name differs between the two rule sets (this site’s paraphrase):
- GB/T 16552—2017: a method classed as treatment has to be stated in the name itself — the method put before the name, or added in brackets after it; a method classed as optimization does not need to appear in the name, though one marked “Optimization (annotation required)” still has to be noted in the quality documents. Source: §5.4.2.1 a), b); §5.4.2.2 a)
- CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022: no longer splits treatments into ones that need specific disclosure and ones that need only general disclosure: every treatment is to be disclosed, and the seller tells the buyer which treatment was used and what special care it calls for. Source: §4.2.5 Note 2, §4.2.5.1, pp.14–15
What this table covers
What this page can give
- Registered treatments, their stability and how often they occur (see the table above)
- Identification leads for each treatment, for use when sending a stone for testing
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Chinese standard nameUnder GB/T 16552—2017, Horn can be named directly as a mineral/material name; Annex A of the standard does not list it. Names in four languagesThe four-language names are the Simplified Chinese name, the Traditional Chinese name, the English name Horn (general material) and the Japanese name, the last being the entry's own Japanese name; the wording of GSJ (Japan) for this name is not yet verified by this site. National standard namesGermany (RAL) and the EU both write Horn. Institution usageOn authority wording, the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 lists Horn; the FTC text on file has no wording for this name (checked); GIA and Gem-A are unchecked; bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name, which does not represent their position. The qualification stripped from the heading name, (general material), comes from the entry's own English name for GIA and Gem-A, whose wording is unchecked, and likewise from the entry's own English name for FTC, whose text on file has no wording for this name (checked). Recommended listing nameThe suggested listing name is Horn (stating species/treatment). Mineralogically it is keratinous horn material from bovids or wild ungulates.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- ホーン／角 (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- Mineral / material name (not in GB/T 16552 Annex A; usable directly)
- 角 (GB/T 16552—2017 §5.1.1 b))
- Mineralogical name
- Keratinous horn material from bovids or wild ungulates
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 角
- 繁體中文
- 角
- English
- Horn (general material)
- 日本語
- ホーン／角
National and regional formal names
- Germany (RAL)
- Horn
- European Union
- Horn
Qualifiers stripped from the headline name
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural organic and biogenic materials
- Browsing family
- Other animal-derived materials
- Identity tier
- Organic or biogenic material
- Mineral chemical class
- Not applicable
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
What it is and how it's identified
Horn: in the registered material facts, hardness under durability is given separately by sample: the rhinoceros horn sample alone was measured at a Mohs hardness of 2.5, and the water buffalo horn sample alone at a Mohs hardness of 2; neither the rhinoceros horn reading nor the water buffalo horn reading is a value for horn in general, and the two samples give different readings in the same report. The register notes that the cited report measured only hardness and says nothing about toughness or stability; hardness alone is not enough to judge durability, and a complete durability conclusion cannot be assembled from the registered content. On treatment stability, surface waxing and impregnation of horn are both treated, with stability unstable; the stability of surface waxing and of impregnation describes whether the effect of each treatment is stable, not whether horn itself is durable.
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Durability
Horn — Mohs hardness: 2.5
Japan Customs Central Laboratory (1989)
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
- Sample actually measured
- rhinoceros horn sample only
- Qualification
This is the reading for a rhinoceros horn sample, not a value for horn in general. The same report gives a different reading for water buffalo horn, listed separately. The report we cite measured hardness only, with no figure for toughness or stability.
- General note
- hardness only, not durability
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- Ishiguro, Sekikawa & Muto, Identification of Ivory (Japan Central Customs Laboratory Report No. 29, 1989) (Japan Customs): p. 22, Table 3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Horn — Mohs hardness: 2
Japan Customs Central Laboratory (1989)
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
- Sample actually measured
- water buffalo horn sample only
- Qualification
This is the reading for a water buffalo horn sample, not a value for horn in general. The same report gives a different reading for rhinoceros horn, listed separately. The report we cite measured hardness only, with no figure for toughness or stability.
- General note
- hardness only, not durability
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- Ishiguro, Sekikawa & Muto, Identification of Ivory (Japan Central Customs Laboratory Report No. 29, 1989) (Japan Customs): p. 22, Table 3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
For Horn, the stability of surface waxing is “unstable”.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
- Treatment state
- treated
- Treatment
- surface waxing
- Qualification
This says how well the treatment holds up, not how durable Horn itself is.
- General note
- no durability verdict here
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
For Horn, the stability of impregnation is “unstable”.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
- Treatment state
- treated
- Treatment
- impregnation
- Qualification
This says how well the treatment holds up, not how durable Horn itself is.
- General note
- no durability verdict here
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Testing and market
For identification and market of Horn, the CIBJO laboratory protocol requires checks focused on dyeing and imitations. For Horn in trade, treated surface waxing is reported as “occasionally” and treated impregnation as “common”. The requirement to check for dyeing and imitations comes from the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024, and the treatment frequencies from the CIBJO Gemstone Book (2022).
The tests the CIBJO laboratory protocol requires for this material, and what each method means, are in the protocol table on the laboratory testing page: §6.2.5.
How far testing can go
For Horn in trade, the reported frequency of surface waxing is “occasionally”.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
- Treatment state
- treated
- Treatment
- surface waxing
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
For Horn in trade, the reported frequency of impregnation is “commonly”.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
- Treatment state
- treated
- Treatment
- impregnation
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Horn — what the CIBJO laboratory protocol says to watch for: dye, imitations
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
Related-entry tree for Horn on this site: 2 entries listed by this site's parent-entry links; synthetic, treated and similar entries carry their recorded state after the name; this page (Horn) is marked.
- Horn
Sub-entries (1)
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Other animal-derived materials | Live |
| Treatments recorded for this material | Impregnated | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Horn entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.