Tortoiseshell came into vogue in Europe in about the 17th century and was used in various handicrafts. In contemporary literary sources there is relatively little information on its preparation. By comparison there is much more on tortoiseshell imitations. Tortoiseshell is obtained from the Hawksbill Turtle <i>(Eretmochelys imbricata), which occurs in all tropical and subtropical seas. The shell consists of bony plates covered with horny skin which yields the tortoiseshell of commerce. Quality and markings are mostly determined by provenance.