Why is rosewood furniture expensive

Several hundred miles to the north, in Dongyang, there are larger manufacturers with showrooms. The Rong Ding Xuan factory is in a gated compound with two multi-story buildings and a private parking garage. Here, gleaming rosewood furniture is displayed alongside accessories. There are silk cushions on chairs, well-pruned bonsai plants centered on dining tables, and calligraphy brushes atop study desks, so that customers can imagine what the pieces would look like at home or in the office. Soft music and gentle lighting complete the high-end shopping experience.

Owning rosewood furniture has long conveyed a certain status, if not always a desirable one. During the Cultural Revolution that began in , it sent exactly the wrong message. After the Cultural Revolution, one would not be surprised to find an antique Ming Dynasty table — a wanton bourgeois relic according to Mao — serving as a chopping block for a rural farmer. Wealthy parents buy rosewood furniture as an investment or a gift to pass down to their children, or simply for the same reason they might want a flashy car or a fancy handbag.

Workers assemble rosewood furniture at a Xianyou factory. However, the culture of conspicuous consumption may finally be changing. Some timber dealers say that demand has declined in the last two to three years. This might be due to the precedent set by President Xi Jinping, who has tried to clean up the Communist Party and discourage the lavish gift-giving that party officials were once known for. In fact, Chinese attitudes toward timber conservation seem almost nonexistent.

Far-off trees are hard to care about in a country with treasured panda bears that are endangered and a slew of domestic environmental issues, including severe air and water pollution.

Moreover, there are few institutions that draw attention to the illegal timber issue. It is not well covered by the media, and there are no Chinese environmental groups dedicated to taking on the illegal timber trade. The Chinese government, when it decides to do something, is incredibly capable of doing it. China has taken a few steps to improve its import monitoring system. The customs lab in Zhangjiagang checks some logs entering the port.

Larger state labs, such as the Chinese Academy of Forestry lab in Beijing, have begun trying to use DNA analysis , stable isotope identification, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. But these techniques are still being developed and are currently too expensive for widespread adoption. Plus, as conservationists point out, new monitoring techniques will not be sufficient to solve the trafficking problem. Owning rosewood furniture has long conveyed a status of wealth in China.

Lacey Act , that forces companies to take responsibility for the sourcing of their wildlife-based products. They are also hoping that China will assign timber trade regulation and enforcement to a well-funded agency or ministry; currently, the task is assigned to low-level bureaucrats in the State Forestry Administration.

Madagascar is in the process of installing its own new set of bureaucrats. There are winners and losers.

When we have political problems, the Chinese are happy — they can take what they want. They take advantage of poor governance because it means more profits. If they really want to help conserve wildlife, they have to stop. Reporting for this story was supported by a grant from the Society of Environmental Journalists. By Zach St. By Daniel Grossman. Search Search. It is well known and expensive, but durable and requires little care under normal conditions. Its use has been exploited, but it is now more strictly controlled.

The second wood to be known for its spider-webbing pattern, ziricote is a heavy, medium to dark brown wood from Mexico and Central America. It is a popular choice for cabinetry and furniture, musical instruments such as guitars, and gunstocks. Known for its decay-resistance, and lasting good looks, it is widely available, and some of the finer wood has a distinctive green or purple cast. Durable, but difficult to work with, this special wood is also known as Striped Ebony.

A rare wood best suited for indoor use. It has a striking appearance, but does not tolerate insects well, and can split during the drying cycle. Grown in Southeast Asia, it often appears yellowish or red-brown with darker stripes, and provides a dramatic look for large pieces of furniture that can be very pricey! It is extremely rare and is currently on the endangered species list. It is still possible to finds smaller products — including pens and mechanical pencils, pool cues, and musical instruments made of Macassar Ebony.

It is popular for guitars and ukeleles, and its golden or light red-brown hues and simple grain make it an appealing choice for cabinets and furniture. Koa bowls are widely used on the island, and represent favorite tourist souvenirs.

Cocobolo is a Central American wood that is widely prized by owners of expensive handguns and knives. Only the heart of the wood is used and it is unique in that the color of the heartwood changes after being cut. Cocobolo is dense and hard, can be polished to a glossy sheen, and has a nice tone. Musicians and chess players treasure the wood as much as sportsmen.

It is used to craft guitars, flutes, clarinets, and bagpipes as well as chess pieces and weapon grips. Coming in last on our most expensive woods list is Bubinga. It is a smooth, stunning wood of the genus Guibourtia. Different examples of the wood can vary dramatically in shade and grain pattern.

That said, it is popular because the trees grow to be immense. Large slabs are available with natural edges and used for dramatic tabletops, desks, and conference tables. All true Rosewood varieties are much more expensive, and several have become increasingly scarce, making Bubinga an even better choice.

African black wood… especially fine what am I likely to pay for a premium piece per kg today. Amazon also has some African Blackwood listings for various crafting projects. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Skip to content The most expensive woods in the world are used for fine art pieces, musical instruments, jewelry, cooking utensils, and even pencils.

African Blackwood Dalbergia melanoxylon 2. Ebony 3. Sandalwood 4. Holly 5. Pink Ivory 6. Brazilian Rosewood Dalbergia nigra 7. Ziricote 8. Macassar Ebony 9. Koa Cocobolo There are many ways and means of maintaining teak.

It would be best if you cleaned it regularly, and for finishing it, you can either apply oil, varnish or paint upon primer. The maintenance requirements for rosewood are similar to teak, but it is prone to deterioration in the presence of extreme weather conditions and sunlight.

Despite its restoration and cultivation worldwide, teak continues to be among the most expensive types of wood on the market.

The price may vary depending on the kind of teak, the grade and its origin. Rosewood is as expensive and, in many cases, more costly than teak. The main issue with rosewood is its availability. Still, if you can source it, you should expect to part with a lot of money for it, probably much more than you would spend on teak depending on the variety of rosewood. After reading this post, you should be now aware of the unique features of teak and rosewood.

As a woodworker, you will realize the difficulty in procuring either of these two types of wood. Although teak may be more easily-available than rosewood, both of them are increasingly difficult to come by today. Even if you can acquire either teak or rosewood, you need first to ascertain its authenticity, which hopefully you can now do using the information that we have provided.

You also need to confirm that the material is legally procured. And if all goes well, you will be able to execute some great woodworking projects with either of these types of wood.

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