When you think of ebony, you first think of deep black wood - after all, in the well-known fairy tale Snow White, it is said that her hair is as black as ebony. But some striped or dark brown varieties also belong strictly speaking to this group of around 450 types of wood. The highest quality is that of the subclass Diospyrus - these are tropical, medium-sized, slow-growing trees that are scattered individually throughout the rainforest.
Ebony has long been highly valued and processed into works of art.
The different types of ebony
The most valuable is Ceylon ebony, named after its origin in South India and Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). This deep black wood is characterized by its hardness and fine pores, which make it easy to polish. However, it is now a great rarity. Madagascar ebony is also of high quality, but its color tends towards a dark brown.
The most common type of ebony is the African Cameroon ebony. However, due to its open pores and grey veins, it is considered to be of inferior quality. There are also striped varieties, such as Madagascar ebony with yellow and brown stripes, and Mun ebony from Vietnam and Laos, which is also striped.
Ebony and its Use
Finds in ancient Egyptian graves indicate that ebony was used very early on for carved art objects. Trade also flourished very soon and ebony was imported into European countries as an exotic speciality. It was used to make imaginative inlays and the wood was used for veneers.
Today it is mainly used for making musical instruments such as clarinets and oboes. The dark wood gives the musical instruments a pleasant and warm sound as well as a noble and elegant appearance.
Extraordinary pieces of jewelry
High-quality ebony can be polished very well, resulting in a very smooth and even surface. This material property creates a very elegant effect in jewelry.
The processing of ebony in the jewelry industry is not necessarily an everyday occurrence, but RENÉSIM has experience in making ebony jewelry. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to contact our team of experts. Of course, we only use ebony of the highest quality.
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