Michelle Obama has been recently photographed wearing mammoth ivory jewelry. Woolly mammoth ivory is being dug up in Russia and sold around the world as an "ethical, guilt-free" alternative that can take the pressure off the illegal market for elephant ivory.

However, wildlife protection groups warn that an increase in demand for any ivory -- whether it's "legal" antique ivory or mammoth ivory -- will only fuel the black market. Once a tusk is processed into jewelry or a carving, even top experts and advanced wildlife forensics labs have a hard time telling where it came from.

As warmer temperatures melt the Russian tundra and expose more and more mammoths, the market will continue to grow. Since mammoth ivory fetches a higher price than elephant ivory, it's a good incentive for poachers to try to disguise their product to get a piece of the market.

The international community has long struggled to regulate the ivory trade, but as of right now, India is the only country to ban mammoth ivory, while the rest of the world is taking the wait-and-see approach.

Woolly mammoths are long past the point of worrying about poachers, but elephants are not. Michelle Obama should be using her influence to protect endangered species, not put them at risk with her fashion choices. Ask the First Lady to stop supporting the ivory trade.