Tortoiseshell (definite introduction)
You can see the word tortoiseshell , may be very unfamiliar, but if you go to a jewelry store, you will find many tortoise shell products, a kind of transparent object with a striped color similar to leopard print. When you ask, you will find that the price is very expensive. So what is tortoise shell and why? Why is it so expensive?
1. Real things come to their true origins
Not long ago, a government-sponsored student named Zhu exchanged 165 pieces of tortoiseshell carapace in Cuba and returned to China, but was stopped by Chengdu Customs at the airport. Zhu Moumou did not know that although hawksbill turtle shells could be traded in Cuba, according to my decree, his behavior constituted the crime of smuggling rare animal products. Finally, the Chengdu Intermediate People's Court sentenced Zhu to 2 years' imprisonment and 2 years' probation.
This makes us wonder, what exactly is a tortoiseshell, and why is it so good that it is a crime? Let’s take a look below.
Liang, the real body of Tortoiseshell
Tortoiseshell (name) : Eretmochelys imbricata) is a species of sea turtle belonging to the family Turtleidae and is a national second-level protected species. It is the only species of hawksbill turtle, also known as hawksbill turtle, turtle, hawksbill turtle, Wenjia turtle, hawksbill turtle, thirteen dace turtle, thirteen scales, thirteen-sided turtle, bright hawksbill turtle, thousand-year-old turtle, referred to as hawksbill turtle. The eggs are edible; the horny plates can be used to make eyeglass frames or cosmetics; the nail flakes can be used as medicine. This species is native to the oceans of America and Asia. The important living areas are shallow water lagoons and coral reef areas. The coral reefs contain sponges, the most important food for hawksbill turtles. The food of the hawksbill turtle also includes invertebrates such as jellyfish, sea anemones, shrimps, crabs and shellfish, as well as fish and seaweed. Hawksbill turtles, like other sea turtles, have typical turtle characteristics, including a flat body, a protective carapace, and paddle-like flippers suitable for paddling. The average body length of female adult turtles is 0.6-0.8 meters, and the body length of males is similar. The larger ones can reach 1 meter, and the largest ones can even reach 1.7 meters. The average body weight can generally reach 45-80 kilograms. Historically, it has caughtThe heaviest tortoiseshell reaches 210 kilograms.
Tortoiseshell finished products
3. Familiar with tortoise shell finished products
Tortoise shell (Shell) is an organic gemstone. Factors: Calcium carbonate; hardness: 2.5; specifically refers to the carapace of tortoiseshell, which is amorphous, slightly transparent to translucent, and has a waxy to greasy luster. During the production process, the ridges of the tortoise shell need to be removed. Tortoiseshell crafts have been used in many civilizations. The famous poem "The Peacock Flies Southeast" in the Han Dynasty contains the line "Silk silk shoes underfoot, tortoiseshell light on head". There is a record in Sima Qian's "Historical Records·Biography of Chun Shen Jun": "Zhao Ping sent people to Chun Shen Jun, and Chun Shen Jun stayed in Shangshe. Zhao wanted to praise Chu, so he made a tortoiseshell hairpin and decorated the sword room with pearls and jade, asking for his orders. Chun Shen Jun's guest. Chun Shen Jun's guests were all more than three thousand, and all of them were sneaking up on their pearls to see the envoy from Zhao. The envoy from Zhao was greatly ashamed. "This passage probably refers to the envoy of Zhao Guoping who was sending his envoy to Chun Shen. The emperor showed off by wearing a tortoiseshell hairpin and a sword inlaid with pearls and jade. When he saw the three thousand diners of Chun Shenjun, everyone was wearing shoes inlaid with large pearls. This shows that during the Warring States Period in China, tortoiseshell The jewelry is already a very consistent men’s jewelry. In the Tang Dynasty, tortoiseshell was used to create currency - Qiyuan Tongbao, which was unearthed from the underground palace of the True Body Futu of Xi'an Jueji Temple. It is extremely precious, with only 13 pieces in the world.
4. Is tortoiseshell trading illegal?
According to the "List of Nationally Protected Wild Species", hawksbill turtles belong to the national second-level seriously protected rare and endangered wild species. According to the appendix of the "Contract on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild and Smart Plants", all species of sea turtle shells are included in Appendix I of CITES. Many people travel abroad, do business, or study abroad. After purchasing similar products through legal channels, they naturally think that they are legal in China, and end up violating the law. While these items are cheap overseas, they are extremely expensive at home. What is legal overseas may not be acceptable. The key depends on whether it is allowed by your laws and regulations.
In the southern coastal areas of our country, many peopleRaising small hawksbill turtles, in some tourist attractions, a more serious situation is the life-saving trade of hawksbill turtles. Some people will buy the hawksbill turtles caught by merchants and release them alive, and the merchants will continue to catch them. If they are not traded, they will not be killed. So we must resolutely stop this behavior.
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