Rosewood


Rosewood is any of a number of richly hued hardwoods, often brownish with darker veining, but found in other colours. It is hard, tough, strong, and dense. True rosewoods come from trees of the genus Dalbergia, but other woods are often called rosewood. Rosewood takes a high polish and is used for luxury furniture-making, flooring, musical instruments, and turnery.

True rosewoods

Genuine rosewoods belong to the genus Dalbergia. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated in the Western world is the wood of Dalbergia nigra. It is best known as "Brazilian rosewood", but also as "Bahia rosewood". This wood has a strong, sweet smell, which persists for many years, explaining the name rosewood.
Another classic rosewood comes from Dalbergia latifolia, known as Indian rosewood or sonokeling. It is native to India and is also grown in plantations elsewhere in Pakistan.
Madagascar rosewood, known as bois de rose, is highly prized for its red color. It is overexploited in the wild, despite a 2010 moratorium on trade and illegal logging, which continues on a large scale.
Throughout southeast Asia, Dalbergia oliveri is harvested for use in woodworking. It has a very fragrant and dense grain near the core, but the outer sapwood is soft and porous. Dalbergia cultrata, variegated burgundy to light brown in color, is a blackwood timber sold as Burmese rosewood. Products built with rosewood-based engineered woods are sold as 'Malaysian rosewood' or as D. oliveri.
Some rosewood comes from Dalbergia retusa, also known as 'Nicaraguan rosewood' or as cocobolo. Several species are known as Guatemalan rosewood or Panama rosewood: D. tucerencis, D. tucarensis, and D. cubiquitzensis. Honduran rosewood, D. stevensonii is used for marimba keys, guitar parts, clarinets and other musical and ornamental applications.
Not all species in the large genus Dalbergia yield rosewoods; only about a dozen species do. The woods of some other species in the genus Dalbergia are notable—even famous—woods in their own right: African blackwood, kingwood, and Brazilian tulipwood.
Some species become canopy trees, and large pieces can occasionally be found in the trade.

Other

The timber trade sells many timbers under the name 'rosewood' due to some similarities. A fair number of these timbers come from other legume genera; one such species that is often mentioned is Bolivian Machaerium scleroxylon sold as 'Bolivian rosewood'. Another that may be found in market from Southeast Asia is Pterocarpus indicus, sold as 'New Guinea rosewood'. Dalbergia sissoo is a rosewood species from India and Bangladesh, usually known as sheesham or North-Indian rosewood. Its timber is extremely dense and has mild rot resistance but is porous, and its exterior is soft and susceptible to wood-boring insects. It is used for making cabinets and flooring, and for carving. It is exported as quality veneers. Due to its after-work quality when sealed and dyed, it is often sold as genuine rosewood or as teak. It has no discernible qualities of a genuine rosewood. Its strength is comparable with teak, but it has lower quality and price than teak or Dalbergia latifolia.
Although its wood bears no resemblance whatsoever to the true rosewoods, the Australian rose mahogany and Australian blackwood, are also sold as rosewood. Acacia excelsa is also commonly known as ironwood or rosewood. Australian rose mahogany, due to the strong smell of roses from freshly cut bark, is more mistakenly termed a "rosewood".

Uses

All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for guitars, marimbas, recorders, turnery, handles, furniture, and luxury flooring, etc.
Rosewood oil, used in perfume, is extracted from the wood of Aniba rosaeodora, which is not related to the rosewoods used for lumber. Rosewood is also used for bracelets and necklaces.

Toxicity

Rosewood dust from sanding is a sensitizing irritant and can cause respiratory issues like asthma. Repeated exposure increases sensitivity, leading to chronic respiratory problems and potential allergic reactions. Proper safety measures are essential to minimize risks.

Status as an endangered species

In general, world stocks are poor through overexploitation. Rosewood is now protected worldwide. At a summit of the international wildlife trade in South Africa, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora moved to protect the world's most trafficked wild product by placing all 300 species of the rosewood tree under trade restrictions. At CITES meetings in 2013, 2016, and 2019, additional rosewood species were listed for protection, triggering market booms in China. China's demand for rosewood has incentivized illegal logging in Africa.

List of rosewoods

From Dalbergia species:
  • Amazone Rosewood, Para Rosewood
  • Bahia Rosewood, Tulipwood, Pau Rosa, Pinkwood, Bois de rose
  • Black Rosewood, Nicaraguan, Mexican or Panama and Central American Rosewood
  • Brazilian Rosewood, also Bahia or Rio Rosewood, Jacaranda, White Rosewood, german Rio-Palisander
  • Brown's Indian rosewood
  • Burmese Rosewood Chingchan also as Asian or Laos Rosewood,,
  • Chinese Rosewood, Fragrant Rosewood, Huanghuali also as Bangkok Rosewood
  • Closeflower Rosewood, Camotillo
  • Granadillo Rosewood
  • Guatemala or Honduras Rosewood
  • Honduran Rosewood
  • Laos Rosewood, Burmese Rosewood, Burmese Blackwood
  • Laotian Rosewood
  • Madagascar Rosewood also as French Rosewood, and Bois de Rose,, for all Dalbergia-species from the population of Madagascar.
  • Mexican Rosewood, Palo Escrito
  • Indian Rosewood, Indonesian or Malabar, Bombay, Rosetta und Black Rosewood or Sonokeling Rosewood
  • Indian Rosewood, Sissoo, Sheesham
  • Siamese, Siam Rosewood, Thailand Rosewood, Reclaimed Thai Rosewood
  • Yucatan Rosewood, Guatemalan Rosewood
Other than Dalbergia species
  • African Rosewood, False Rosewood, and , and Rhodesian Copalwood, also also as West African Rosewood or Senegal, Gaboon Rosewood, Millettia laurentii, Hagenia abyssinica also as East African Rosewood
  • Andaman rosewood, redwood, padauk
  • Arizona or California Rosewood
  • Australian Rosewood Acacia spp.; and others like also as Western Rosewood, also as Australian Blackwood etc.
  • Bastard Rosewood, Australian Rosewood also as Scentless Rosewood,
  • Bolivian Rosewood, Santos Rosewood, Pau Ferro, Morado, Machaerium spp.;,,
  • Brazilian Rosewood, also as Amazone Rosewood
  • Rosewood, Cayenne Rosewood, Pau Rosa, Bois de rose , and others
  • Burmese Rosewood, also as New Guinea Rosewood or Andaman Rosewood, Narra
  • Canary Rosewood,
  • Caribbean Rosewood
  • Cayenne Rosewood, Bois de rose mâle or possible to other sources
  • False or Bastard Rosewood; others than Swartzia spp.; also as Hairy Rosewood,, also as Pacific and Tahitian Rosewood or Polynesian Rosewood, Macawood, Granadillo
  • Guyana Rosewood, Bastard Rosewood, also as Northern Rosewood and for also French Rosewood
  • Jamaica Rosewood
  • Japanese Rosewood
  • Mexican Rosewood, Dominican, Mayan Rosewood, Bocote; Barcino, Bojon, Freijo, Louro Preto, Ziricote
  • Patagonian Rosewood
  • Tiete Rosewood,
  • Rhodesian Rosewood see African Rosewood
  • West Indian Rosewood, Jamaica Rosewood, White Rosewood ; also as Lignum rhodium
  • Rosewood, Australian Rose Mahogany, Bastard Rosewood
  • Western Rosewood, Inland Rosewood
  • White Rosewood ,
  • , rosewood substitute,,,,
  • Only because of scent; Rosewood oil, Oleum Ligni Rhodii, ; also as Lignum rhodium, Lignum cyprinum
  • Other rosewoods; Colliguaja odorifera, ''Erythroxylum havanense''