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Cowichan artist brings past to life with ancient mammoth ivory jewelry

Jock Hildebrand, an artist from Cowichan Valley, has been crafting a collection of refined jewelry pieces made from mammoth ivory in Maple Bay, using a tusk that was gifted to him almost two years ago.
Hildebrand’s friend, an ice road builder, discovered the ancient tusk when his grader unearthed it, leading to the artist’s use of ivory between 40,000 and 60,000 years old.
Hildebrand has produced around 300 named, unisex pieces in his Shibui Gallery, where he finds working on smaller, intricate ivory jewelry easier on his aging body.
He said, “Some are definitely more masculine than others,” and jewelry prices range from $40 to a few hundred dollars, highlighting the timeless nature tied to the tusk’s origin.
Hildebrand hopes the collection conveys the ancient creature’s sentient history and that ethical use of mammoth ivory creates beautiful, lasting art pieces in the Cowichan Valley.

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