Among the three types of rosewood, black rosewood is the best. Its color is basically purple red, purple brown or purplish black. It has a relatively high wood density, and the wood is relatively hard, with excellent polishing effect. Moreover, it is not easy to crack after being made into finished products. Therefore, black rosewood is often used to make crafts and furniture. Like ebony, black rosewood is a precious type of wood.
Black rosewood is one kind of rosewood. In the Dalbergia genus plants, except for Hainan Island's Dalbergia odorifera which is called "fragrant branch" (commonly known as Huanghuali), the rest all belong to the rosewood category. There are many kinds of rosewood, roughly divided into three types: black rosewood, red rosewood, and white rosewood. Their common feature is: during processing, they emit an acidic smell similar to vinegar, hence they are called rosewood by people.
Correct Understanding of Black Rosewood
Black rosewood is also called Big-leaf Purple Sandalwood. Originally, it was all called Big-leaf Purple Sandalwood. Later, with the introduction of national standards, Big-leaf Purple Sandalwood was renamed black rosewood in the national standard. So the current standardized name is black rosewood. Black rosewood is also called "ebony". The new cut surface of its heartwood is orange-red, which will turn deep purple over time, and emits a sour aroma, thus resembling ebony.
It is understood that in recent years, some people in China have imported large quantities of high-quality timber from Madagascar, which have been continuously sold. Initially, it was believed to be ebony, but after extensive research, it turned out not to be ebony, but rather a type of black wood within the black rosewood category, scientifically named "Dalbergia louvelii". The Forestry Research Institute of Madagascar also specifically sent a formal letter to the relevant forestry departments in our country, stating that Madagascar does not produce ebony. The high-quality timber exported from their country, including that exported to China, is all "Dalbergia louvelii".
In fact, among the Dalbergia genus woods, especially the species of black rosewood, the colors mostly appear purplish black or purplish red. Its hardness is no less than that of real ebony, and some can even rival ebony. With the extinction of Hainan Huanghuali and ebony raw materials, furniture made from black rosewood still qualifies as a superior material for traditional furniture.
Big-Leaf Purple Sandalwood Is Not Ebony
Experts remind consumers to note that Big-Leaf Purple Sandalwood and Small-Leaf Purple Sandalwood are frequently mentioned in the market, but Big-Leaf Purple Sandalwood is not actually ebony. Regarding their origin, Big-Leaf Purple Sandalwood comes from Africa, while Small-Leaf Purple Sandalwood originates from India; they belong to different tree species. Compared with real Small-Leaf Purple Sandalwood, the grain of Big-Leaf Purple Sandalwood appears coarser, with obvious and wide band-like patterns on the tangential section, longer, straighter, coarser, and more numerous hair-like structures formed by pores, making the wood appear rougher than ebony. Its market price is only one-fourth that of ebony.
Black rosewood includes eight wood species, distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, such as Dalbergia fusca, Dalbergia latifolia, Dalbergia louvelii, Dalbergia melanoxylon, Dalbergia maritima, Dalbergia spruceana, and Dalbergia stevensonii. The heartwood is mainly chestnut-brown, often accompanied by black stripes; the wood has luster, with an acidic smell or faintly so when freshly cut, and some have an oily feel; the grain is interlocked or straight, the wood is heavy and hard, resistant to decay, and resists damage from termites and powder post beetles. Its color and patterns are beautiful and pleasing to the eye, making it suitable for use in redwood furniture, as well as for making decorative crafts, fine woodworking products, high-end fine woodworking products, musical instruments, etc. (Editor: YaYa)