Brazilian Rosewood

Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) is a dense, oily tropical hardwood cut from a medium-to-large leguminous tree native to the Atlantic coastal forest of eastern Brazil, where it is known locally as jacaranda. For most of the 20th century it was the benchmark rosewood — the wood behind vintage acoustic guitars, high-end furniture, and luxury veneer — and its reputation still sets the standard against which other rosewoods are measured.

At a glance it is unmistakable in the best boards: a deep reddish-brown to chocolate or violet-brown heartwood cut through with darker, near-black streaking that produces the bold, high-contrast striping seen on our sample. It is heavy, hard, and naturally lustrous, with a faint sweet-spicy 'rosewood' scent when freshly cut. Since 1992 the species has been listed on CITES Appendix I, so nearly all trade today is in old, pre-Convention, or certified salvaged stock rather than freshly harvested timber.

The heartwood runs from a warm reddish- or orange-brown to a darker chocolate or purplish-brown, marked by irregular darker streaks — sometimes nearly black — that give the wood its prized striped and 'spider-web' figure. On our sample the straight-to-wavy grain and prominent medullary rays create distinctive figuring against the high-contrast striping. The sapwood is a sharply demarcated pale yellow to cream. Luster is naturally high and the texture is medium to coarse, with medium-to-large open pores.

The wood is heavy and dense (roughly 830–900 kg/m³ air-dry) with a Janka hardness around 2,790 lbf, placing it firmly in the very-hard range — well above domestic walnut, oak, or maple. Grain is typically straight but frequently wavy or interlocked, which contributes to the shimmering figure but can complicate machining.

Brazilian Rosewood is rated durable to very durable, with good resistance to decay and reasonable resistance to insects. Its high natural oil content contributes to durability and to the characteristic scent, and it is fairly stable in service once properly dried.

Brazilian Rosewood is most famous as a premium tonewood — the classic material for the backs and sides of fine steel-string and classical guitars, as well as fingerboards, bridges, piano cases, and other instrument components — valued for its stiffness, ring, and looks. Vintage instruments built from it are highly sought after.

Beyond instruments it has long been used for high-end furniture, cabinetry, and decorative veneer, plus turning, carving, boxes, brush backs, knife handles, and other small specialty and luxury items where its color, figure, and finish justify the cost and scarcity. Because supply is now so restricted, it is generally reserved for repairs, restorations, and premium pieces rather than production work.

Despite its density, well-seasoned Brazilian Rosewood works reasonably well with sharp tools, though its hardness is demanding on cutting edges and interlocked grain can tear out on planing, so light cuts and sharp tooling help. It turns and carves cleanly, holds crisp detail, and polishes to a high natural luster. Its high oil content can interfere with gluing and with some film finishes, so surfaces are commonly wiped with a solvent (such as acetone or naphtha) before bonding or finishing to promote adhesion.

Cautions: rosewoods in the genus Dalbergia are well-documented sensitizers. The dust can cause respiratory irritation and skin/eye dermatitis, and repeated exposure can lead to allergic sensitization even in workers who tolerated it initially — use effective dust collection and a respirator. The wood is not edible and shavings should not be used around animals or gardens without caution.

Brazilian Rosewood is scarce and expensive. Because Dalbergia nigra has been listed on CITES Appendix I since 1992, international commercial trade in newly harvested timber is effectively prohibited, and any cross-border movement — even of finished instruments or small parts — requires CITES documentation proving legal, pre-Convention, or otherwise permitted origin.

What reaches the market today is almost entirely old stock, reclaimed and salvaged wood, stumps, and pre-ban lumber, sold at premium prices as guitar sets, small blanks, and veneer rather than commodity lumber. It is considered a threatened species (listed as vulnerable/endangered in conservation assessments), so buyers should insist on documented, legal provenance. Many builders now substitute East Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) or other legal alternatives for new work.