It might be worth contacting an elephant welfare charity to ask what they advise. If there’s an ethical way of selling the pieces, they would know, and that would be ideal. And then the money could be donated to the charity to help preserve elephants in the present day.
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@Bmpdvm , I think you have a paradox. How does one appraise something and put a valuation on something that is not technically legal to sell? I believe ivory items prior to 1947 can be sold with documentation.
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@StevesTrail I get what I think you mean about the oddness of placing a market or replacement value on that which isn’t sellable currently, but the task itself is doable. It’s just objects, not contraband, if commerce isn’t involved, hence capable of being appraised (and insured). Many restricted items can be and are appraised and insured.
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Thanks @chicfarmer and @StevesTrail. I think my husband was joking, but I’m just wondering what to do with the pieces. They’re pretty nice pieces and I hate just to keep it packed away in a box for my son to deal with later (much later!). I think It’s best I donate them somewhere🥴
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I tried selling a Zealandia turtle on eBay and had to take out the word ivory. They only sell old or fossilized ivory. Some of their items are very pretty. https://www.zealandia.com/
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To me it seems pretty black and white. If there’s a way to legally sell an antique item (which it appears there may be) then that’s an option. If it’s illegal to sell then there really isn’t any answer except donation or gifting. Unless you want to work to change the laws. I for one would rather not own any of it, no matter how beautiful it is, but that is totally a personal preference. My mother had a beautifully carved piece that her brother brought back from Asia somewhere (not sure where; he served in the military overseas for decades) which she thought was possibly ivory. When she passed away we gave it to someone in the family who liked it. None of us spent any money on it, none of us needed to make any money from it.
Edit: I think @chamekke has a great idea. I wish I’d have thought of that when my mom passed.
Ha ha, dealing with elephant ivory is anything but black and white if you want to determine what legal. After looking at only a small part of federal requirements to legally buy, sell, or trade in elephant ivory (thank you @chicfarmer), I’m scratching my head. Basically, “requirements are stricter for Asian elephant ivory with regard to interstate and foreign commerce. “For import, the requirements for African elephant ivory are stricter.” So the first step is determining if the ivory is Asian or African by sending it to a Wildlife Forensics Laboratory (or accept the requirements for both species), and know the provenance of the piece (which is frequently unknown). I think you’re right @Ziacat, it’s easiest not own or deal with any of it 
, if you can. Maybe I’ll donate it to a humane society and let them take it from there!
I was being rather simplistic when I said black and white. I simply meant you either figure out the law on selling, or you don’t sell and instead donate. If what you have isn’t antique, then apparently you can’t sell it.
TBH the reason I don’t want to own it is because I find it disturbing. I would be surprised if the humane society would want it; seems like elephant ivory items would kinda go against their purpose. Maybe you should try what @chamekke suggested. Or I would think some museum might want it.
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I understand your sentiments @Ziacat, it’s a sad, and disturbing issue! I was simply attempting to add a bit of humor to the discussion regarding the myriad of regulations for ivory. Guess I’m not very good at it🙄. I wouldn’t choose to donate to just any humane society, but, as @chamekke stated some sort of animal welfare (or humane) organization might know what to do with these items. Hopefully some good might come of them. I hadn’t thought of a museum. I used to be member of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacrament CA when we lived there; calling them might be a good resource.
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Got it! And of course nothing is EVER black and white when the government is involved 
I also want to be clear that I’m not bothered by someone else owning it for a legitimate reason (like you and my mom with the piece that she was given). But I’m glad that even the antique stuff is difficult to sell legally, because I imagine the original market for those now antique items made before the laws were passed have a lot to do with why these animals became endangered in the first place (I feel the same way about things like tortoiseshell). And no, I’m not against hunting (even though I have absolutely no desire to do it myself), I’m not a vegetarian, and I wear leather. But I don’t want to see animals go extinct.
And now the OP has gotten a feel for how many rabbit holes our threads can go down 
Good luck with your items; they are beautiful. The museum sounds like a good idea!
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