Precious rosewood - amazing properties of wood

What is rosewood?

Rosewood is an exotic wood obtained from trees belonging to the Dalbergia group.
They are found primarily in Asia and Africa, but are also found in parts of South America. Depending on the country and region of origin, there are several varieties of rosewood. The most popular are Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) and Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra). Both types are impressive, although they are definitely different in color. Brazilian rosewood can be found mainly in Argentina. The wood obtained from it is distinguished by a dark shade - it is a rich brown color, which is often also slightly red. Rosewood from India looks completely different. This one usually features a golden brown color with visible darker stripes.

Various types

There are several types of it. The most common and sought after is the one that belongs to the legume family. Closely related species of Bignoniaceae can be found in the south of America. Rosewood, which grows in India, is also very popular. Rosewood from this country is quite popular and in demand.

It can also be found in Sri Lanka and Java, Pakistan. In Indonesia, artificial cultivation of this species was practiced. There is also a type called Sissu, which grows only in India. Rio Jacaranda grows in Brazil. It is prohibited to export it abroad due to the fact that the number of trees has decreased. Brazilian plants are included in the Red Book.

Distinctive features

Rosewood wood has a number of internal and external properties. One of them is good resistance ability, increased strength. According to this indicator, this plant is significantly superior to oak. Greater durability is observed.

Bark beetles cause minimal damage. Sapwood is not as strong as heartwood; it is not used in construction and finishing. However, when it comes to the middle of the trunk, we can talk about a density of 800-1000 kilograms per cubic meter. Another interesting property is that rosewood has an aromatic resin whose scent is similar to fragrant flowers. However, when the sawn or log structure ceases to be fresh, this property also disappears. Even less fragrance is heard after drying.

Description

In addition, rosewood wood has quite good aesthetic qualities. Its properties make it possible to make furniture, interior elements, and parquet from this material, which have been very highly valued throughout its centuries-old history. Due to its merits, such wood is called royal.

Its cultivation and production takes place in Brazil and India, Latin America, and the Middle East. Rosewood is also called pink. The color of the layer under the bark is yellow, light tones. Sometimes there are cases when the shades are completely white, like snow. This part does not occupy a very large area at the cut of the trunk. As for the kernel, it depends on what type of plant it is. It can be either purple or golden. There are a large number of variations.

The wood does not have a strong shine; it is rather matte. The structure can be described as homogeneous, endowed with large fibers and narrow stripes. With age, the colors darken and the golden glow disappears. There are cases when the stripes turn purple.

Types of rosewood

• Dalbergia latifolia - Also known as Indian Rosewood, Javanese Rosewood, Indonesian Rosewood, Bombay Ebony, Malabar and Sonokeling. Found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
• Sissoo - Dalbergia sissoo - another species of the same genus from India, which in trade practice is usually no different from Indian rosewood and goes under the same names.
• Siamese rosewood - Dalbergia cochinchinensis, also known as 'firewood' or chak, or Burmese rosewood - Dalbergia olivera - also called Burmese tulip tree, and a number of others from Cambodia - Dalbergia cultrata, camlay from Vietnam - Dalbergia bariensis). They are quite rare on the market as independent breeds.
• Rio rosewood - Dalbergia nigra - Brazilian rosewood, Brazilian rosewood, Rio jacaranda, jacaranda da Bahia, preto jacaranda, caviuna jacaranda, pau preto, rosewood de Segippe. The range is limited to Brazil; currently the breed is rare and protected. Not to be confused with the "just" Brazilian tree - Caesalpinia echinata, which is more accurately called "Brazilian ironwood".
• Queen tree - Dalbergia cearensis - also Brazilian king tree, purple tree, jacaranda violeta, pau violeta. Native to eastern Brazil, it is so named because of its popularity at the courts of Louis XIV and Louis XV. The main area of ​​application today is inlay, marquetry, small turnings, etc. “Purple wood” can also be called another South American species, amaranth, also known as purpleheart - Peltogyne paniculata, P. pubescens.
• Cocobolo - Dalbergia retusa - also granadillo, Nicaraguan rosewood, Central American rosewood, nambar, palo negro, funera, salamander rosewood, coral rosewood.
• Honduran rosewood - Dalbergia stevensonii and Dalbergia tucerensis - are also Central American rosewood. Area: Central America.
• Brazilian tulip tree - Dalbergia frutescens - also pau rose, jacaranda rose, pau de fuso, pinkwood, bois de rose, Baia rosewood. The name most likely refers to the smell of freshly cut wood.
• Amazonian Rosewood - Dalbergia spruceana - Amazonian rosewood, Jacaranda do Pará grows in northeastern Brazil. It resembles Rio rosewood, but differs from it in smell and microstructure.
• There are other species of Dalbergia in South America, including the commercially used Dalbergia glomerata from Central America), but all these species are rare in nature and very rarely found on the market. However, as singular offerings one can find, for example, camatillo - Dalbergia congestiflora - also known as the king tree of Para and the Mexican king tree.

Recipes with sheesham from Ayurvedic medicine

To confirm all of the above, we have selected a few recipes with shisha for the treatment of various ailments.

For sexual impotence in men, a paste of 5 g of sheesham leaves should be taken with a glass of milk. This tonic is prescribed to be taken for 15 to 30 days.

For general weakness, take the juice of fresh leaves orally along with sugar.

For abscesses, a paste prepared from fresh or dried leaves is applied tightly.

Vomiting, hemorrhoids, obesity and overweight: Take 1 - 2 tablespoons of leaf juice with cow's milk. Do this for 2 - 3 days, and then take a break for the same amount. And you can repeat it again.

Special drops are prepared for eye pain. Namely, the juice of shisha leaves is mixed with a small amount of honey.

For pain and aches in the body, dry bark powder is prescribed in a dose of 3 - 6 g. You should drink it with one cup of milk, or at least water at night for 2 - 3 weeks.

For severe diarrhea, a special medicine is prepared. About 100 g of fresh clean shisha leaves are boiled in 500 ml of water for about fifteen minutes. This water then needs to be filtered. It is taken in a dosage of 100 ml (for adults) or 10 - 15 ml (for children) three times a day. But such treatment is not advisable for more than 3-4 days. If the decoction does not help, you need to consult a doctor for a stronger medicine.

For painful urination, prepare a decoction of the leaves and drink 50-100 ml twice a day.

For skin diseases, sheesham oil is applied topically to the affected area of ​​the body.

To reduce sweating, it is recommended to consume the juice of sheesham leaves along with sugar for at least 15 days.

For gonorrhea, bark powder in a dose of 3 - 6 g or a decoction of the leaves helps.

Spreading

Numerous species of trees of the genus Dalbergia (Brazilian tulip tree, Indian rosewood, Cocobolo, etc.) and their analogues (Bacote, Masasauba, etc.) are common in Southeast Asia, Africa and South America.

Many of them are protected and prohibited from logging. Others, on the contrary, are grown in plantations. However, “rosewood trees” grow rather slowly: to reach maturity they need to grow for at least a century and a half. It is this fact that is associated with the high price of “red” and “black” wood.

Clandestine “workshop” for harvesting mahogany wood in Madagascar

Sandalwood

Sandalwood is a genus of tropical trees from India. Once upon a time, this country was the main supplier of sandalwood and sandalwood oil.

Now, in order to restore the tree population, it is forbidden to export all this from the country. Once upon a time, sandalwood oil was used in medicine and perfumery, but due to the high price (at first it was 600 dollars per 1 kg, then the cost increased to 1 thousand dollars) they decided to abandon it, replacing it with synthetic flavors.

Since 1998, Australia has become the main supplier of sandalwood. Costs about 20 thousand dollars per cubic meter.

Properties and qualities of wood

Rosewood is a sound wood type. The sapwood of these species is thin - from 3 to 15 cm, depending on the diameter of the trunk, has a whitish or light yellow color and is valued much lower, since it does not have the necessary technical and decorative qualities. The core color varies from golden to brick, burgundy or dark chocolate, and often has contrasting purple or darker veining. The color range of “rosewood” is diverse. It has been noticed that older rosewood is darker; over time, its color can become even more saturated. The wood has almost no shine; its natural surface is matte. The structure is coarse-fiber, almost uniform.

Types of rosewood differ depending on the type of wood. The most famous include the following:

Requirements for wood products

• Indian rosewood - from the variety Dalbergia latifolia, growing on the Hindustan Peninsula, it is grown on special plantations, the popular trade name is sonokeling;
• royal - made from Brazilian jacaranda violetta wood, which is valuable for making crafts;
• cocobolo from the “Dalbergia retusa” breed of Mexican or Panamanian origin, distinguished by the ability to shift shades in the product, is extremely rarely found on the open market;
• Amazonian rosewood is of Brazilian origin, sometimes found in industry in limited quantities.

In terms of hardness and strength, rosewood is almost 1.5 times superior to oak and resembles ebony. Fresh wood is dried quickly and gently to avoid the appearance of surface cracks. Volumetric shrinkage is small, about 8%. After treatment, the hardness of the material doubles. Its density is from 800 to 1000 kg/cubic. m. Rosewood is very difficult to saw, cut, drill and turn with hand and mechanical tools, which causes frequent dulling and breaking of working surfaces. The wood owes this quality to the high content of lime deposits in the fibers. In this respect, wood is similar to ivory.

The material practically does not need painting or etching, as it is unique in itself. A popular method of surface treatment is priming with colorless compounds and polishing with various high-quality waxes, giving it a soft shine and emphasizing its nobility. The material tolerates gluing well. The fasteners in wood, due to their strength and hardness, hold perfectly. Both solid wood and valuable wood veneer are successfully used. By using different cutting directions, the material is used to produce products that are magnificent in richness and design.

The biostability of rosewood is one of the best. Neither fungus, nor bark beetles, nor termites are capable of infecting precious wood, they are unable to cope with it.

Umnini - material for jewelry

Umnini is one of the most beautiful tree species in the whole world. This is a plant from the Krushinaceae family. It is also known by the names: pink ivory, pink bone, umgoloti. It grows in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. This is a beautiful evergreen plant up to 15 meters tall. It has edible fruits. The umnini kernel is very heavy, dense, and in addition, it has a stunning hot pink color.

It is used to make jewelry and luxury accessories. Sometimes umnini wood is called pink ivory, since its properties are closer to bone than to wood texture. This breed is highly valued among the African Zulu people; products made from it can only be worn by the chief and his family.

Areas of application of rosewood wood

The beauty and high cost of rosewood wood determines its scope of application. The exceptional strength and durability of wood could make it an ideal material for the production of doors and window frames. But the price of a cubic meter of rosewood wood starts at around 10 thousand rubles. Only very wasteful owners will do this.

Rosewood parquet boards, as mentioned above, are not welcomed by the official authorities. But luxury furniture and interior items are made from precious wood; Rosewood is no less popular when creating musical instruments. Rosewood wood makes very good guitars - electric and acoustic. The wood is often used to make bows and fingerboards.

Rosewood cues are very popular among billiard lovers. Thanks to the unique pattern of rosewood wood, stunningly beautiful chess pieces are obtained. In addition to all of the above, rosewood is in great demand in handicrafts, as well as in the creation of various wooden decorations and crafts.

Rosewood wood is often used as a material for knife handles - hunting or throwing. But these knives are not purchased by beginners; only high-level professionals or great connoisseurs of weapons.

A solid solid wood is not always needed. Only beautiful veneers are created from rosewood. By combining different plow and cutting directions, you can create plates with unique patterns.

Due to its aesthetic appearance and high strength, rosewood wood is often used for interior decoration of cabins on liners and luxury train carriages. Rosewood cladding is no less popular among owners of luxury yachts. Rosewood wood looks very elegant and noble, does not fade or rot. These qualities make rosewood a desirable material in marine applications.

Is rosewood suitable for home decor?

Rosewood is ideal for home decor and at the same time looks great in a wide variety of applications. Although many people equate it only to furniture, it definitely has a wider range of uses. Due to its high resistance to moisture and abrasion, it can be used as:

• wall decoration,
• kitchen countertop material,
• floor in the house,
• finishing the floor for the balcony.

Rosewood is also a wood that serves as a material for more artistic projects. Sculptures are often made from it, which means they are durable.

Agar

This plant has many names: paradise tree, aloe tree, agar tree . It has a special, hard wood, greasy to the touch and resinous. It is used as one of the oldest and most expensive perfume ingredients.

Oddly enough, only wood that has been affected by fungus is valued. In this case, it is filled with dark resin, which has an amazing aroma. This resin impregnation process can take up to several hundred years, but requires a minimum of several decades.

These pieces of resin wood have always been highly prized. So, in the treasury of one Japanese emperor, among the jewelry, this wood was kept, each of the pieces of which had its own name.

In the East agar was used as a smoking substance and used in religious rituals. It was a component of perfume that only sheikhs and their associates could afford. A special oil was obtained from it, the secret of which was kept secret for thousands of years. Its other name is “ liquid gold ”. It has a unique aroma and is one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs.

Now 1 cubic meter of this tree costs about 10 thousand dollars. Until the early 20th century, it was rarely brought to Europe. Now, due to uncontrolled logging, it is also in danger of extinction.

Rosewood in the living room - style and elegance

Rosewood is actually intended for living room use. Interestingly, it can be used both in small interiors and in fairly large rooms. It is only important to choose elements that will work in both cases. There are also universal solutions that can be used not only in any interior, but also for any interior style.

Rosewood in the living room can be used primarily on the floor. This is an extremely practical solution. Dark floors look good in both small rooms and large interiors. Just remember to pair them with bright colors first. They are good for:

• beige,
• ecru,
• ivory,
• powdery pink.

When it comes to darker rooms, an interesting option might be to pair rosewood with colors such as graphite or anthracite. They are suitable, especially when it comes to loft-style interiors.

Bubinga

Another name is African rosewood or huaca . Bubinga wood is very beautiful because... it is dense and hard, with clearly visible growth rings. It is red-brown, covered with stripes of dark red or purple. It is used to create furniture; table tops look especially beautiful.

An indispensable material for the manufacture of many musical instruments: harps, guitars, because... thanks to it the sound is deep and rich.

Used to decorate some cars, as a basis for sunglasses. Costs about 19 thousand dollars per cubic meter.

Kitchen and custom color scheme - is rosewood a good choice?

Many people are still reluctant to use wood in rooms such as kitchens or bathrooms. However, it is worth noting that rosewood, like other exotic species, are ideal for this. They are resistant to moisture or water, so even with possible splashes or water vapor, there is no big problem.

A kitchen that uses rosewood can be truly elegant. Moreover, this material is usually used in some characteristic piece of equipment, such as a table or even a countertop. They look great with white, which is why this combination is the most popular.

If you care about a classic finish in your kitchen, it may also be a good idea to choose rosewood cabinetry. They can be combined, for example, with tiles that imitate brick, which are easy to keep clean. It is also a good idea to use them with decorative stone. However, in this case, it must be remembered that this material requires additional protection through special preparation, because, unlike rosewood, it is not resistant to moisture.

Should you choose rosewood furniture?

Definitely yes! This is a long term purchase that will look good in any home. Rosewood furniture is extremely resistant to scratches and chips. It is highly hard and essentially resists damage from normal use - even in homes with a lot going on. This type of wood returns to interior trends every few years, each time symbolizing not only high strength, but also prestige and luxury. Rosewood desks and chests of drawers are often used in the offices of directors and law firms to subtly highlight the reputation of the position.

Processing Features

This material is well suited for polishing and applying wax finishes, the result is extremely beautiful. It is worth having the right tools on hand that can cope with such high density and strength. They often become dull, so they need to be sharpened more often than when working with other raw materials.

Rosewood wood absorbs limestone deposits, which makes processing more difficult. Drying is quite simple and minimal cracks are formed. It is worth noting that not everyone can afford to purchase products made from this material; not every budget can cope with this task. Many craft lovers dream of purchasing rosewood stamps for felting.

These trees can reach 1.5 m in diameter. The thinnest of them are 0.5 m. The height of the plant in most cases is approximately 25 m. It is worth noting that another factor that increases the cost of the material is the duration of tree growth, which is at least 200 years.

Backout is a valuable medicine

Buckout is one of the most expensive species of woody plants, currently under state protection. This guaiac tree is common in South Asia and Australia. In Latin, its name means “tree of life.” This is due to the fact that the resin has valuable properties. It is used for medical purposes to treat many diseases. Backout is also called green heart, iron and holy tree. The core of the tree of life is so dense that it sinks in water. It is 3 times harder than oak. It is also one of the most beautiful breeds in the world. Buckout has very interesting combinations of shades: greenish tones alternate with red and black, which creates a unique composition.

Previously, wood was used in shipbuilding and the production of luxury furniture. The core part has such strong characteristics that it was used to make elements of ships, which are made primarily of iron. For example, bearings and parts of propeller shafts for submarines were made from backout. It was also used to produce elements for watch mechanisms that experience heavy loads. Backout releases natural resins, so parts of the mechanism do not need lubrication. Its extraordinary strength is evidenced by the fact that wood was previously used to make items such as mortars, pestles, and beaters. The popularity of the backout has led to its excessive use. Therefore, its felling has now been suspended in order to replenish resources.

Need for protection

Due to the possibility of making money by selling such raw materials, many people who wanted to make a similar profit uncontrollably cut down the rosewood tree. The photos depict how powerful this plant is. It takes a long time to develop.

Due to the excitement and destruction of groves, very few groves remained with it, and the species had to be listed on the pages of the Red Book. But parquet made from it appeared in many homes of wealthy people. Customers were very demanding, so any scratch on the material was considered a defect.

In today's realities, a ban has been issued on the creation of flooring from this material. Only in shadow markets in Asia can one see such goods, but work is actively underway to ensure that they disappear from there too. Rosewood is of great interest to traders who work dishonestly, as well as swindlers. They are trying to sell counterfeits made from less durable materials.