A luxury art and jewelry business in La Jolla was discovered to have nearly 30 relics made of or containing illegal ivory, according to a search warrant issued by the County of San Diego.
According to the warrant, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confiscated the items from Carlton Gallery on Prospect Street in La Jolla in May.
The warrant goes on to say a peace officer searched through all rooms of the facility and discovered art sculptures, rings, boxes all containing an illegal amount of ivory, as well as pieces of ivory.
Ivory is the tooth or tusk from a species of elephant, hippopotamus or walrus. It is also illegal to possess with intent to sell or import rhinoceros horn.
According to the warrant, on March 5, a warden walked by the Carlton Gallery and noticed three statues made of bronze that appeared to have ivory-colored inlays. The statues had price tags on them.
Under Fish and Game Code, there are two exceptions to selling ivory. The ivory must be less than 20 percent by volume in a musical instrument that was manufactured no later than 1975.
The second exception is the ivory must be less than five percent in a bona fide antique with historical documentation proving the antique is more than 100 years old.
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Law enforcement said the ivory pieces in the Carlton Gallery were not part of musical instruments and had ivory more than five percent volume of the product.
NBC 7 reached out to the gallery on Friday. They said they had no comment.
According to officials with Fish and Wildlife, many times when items such as ivory are confiscated, they go to a warehouse in Denver, Colorado where they are placed permanently.
