Precious Woods: The Most Expensive Wood In The World For Furniture. What Is The Value Of Rare Russian Breeds? African Wood And Other

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 04:10

Our planet is rich in all kinds of vegetation, among which there are very expensive types of trees. Their wood has special qualities and appearance that are not inherent in the raw materials of conventional wood species. The homeland of such cultures are different regions of Africa, Asia and even Europe. We will consider the most interesting and rare varieties in this article.

Peculiarities

Valuable wood species have individual characteristics and differ from ordinary ones. Among the special characteristics are high strength and shrinkage, resistance to stress, density and ease of processing. They have obvious unusual patterns and texture. The performance properties of products from such wood are very high, they perfectly tolerate moisture and temperature loads, keep their shape and do not wear out . They do not require special care, and are also not susceptible to attacks by pests and fungi.

Some species are precious, as there are very few of them left in the natural environment. They are listed in the Red Book and are protected by law. Many of them have been growing for about half a century.

The most expensive timber in the world

Conventionally expensive wood species can be divided into two categories: mahogany and ebony.

The red group includes some tree species, the wood of which has a peculiar brownish or red tint.

A prominent representative of mahogany is teak, which grows in India ., Thailand and other subtropical countries . In these regions, it is a raw material for home and industrial production. The plant is very unpretentious, therefore it can grow on other continents.

Teak wood is valuable due to its specific qualities, such as resistance to fluctuations in humidity, beautiful color and structure. … It can be dark brown in color, sometimes with black stripes . The color of wood depends on the concentration of a certain substance that protects it from decay. There is also a small content of silicon in the composition, the percentage of which depends on the place of growth of the culture. If you saw through the trunk of the teak, you can see clear rings and a straight fibrous structure.

Wood is easy to process. You need to work with it only with sharply sharpened tools. It adheres well, holds nails and screws, and absorbs dyes. It has a dark texture.

Of the black species, ebony can be distinguished, which grows in the tropics of Africa, Asia, on the island of Ceylon, India and Australia . Eben has high strength and specific gravity, dense structure. Ebony plantations create entire forests. Wood of this species is very expensive, the cost per cubic meter starts from 1000 dollars.

This type of tree is considered not only expensive, but also rare, therefore it is listed in the Red Book. Its wood is the heaviest of all popular tree varieties.

In nature, there are more than 100 species of ebony. The most popular and valuable are the Lunar, Macassar, Mun, Ceylon and Cameroon species. The most popular is the Cameroon ebony. It has a pronounced black core color. The cut has visible pores. Of all the ebony trees, this is the most affordable.

The most expensive is the ebony lunar breed, whose homeland is in Myanmar . It is a beautiful and rare species with a light core and black or coffee veins on it. Sometimes stripes of other shades are visible. This breed is prohibited for felling, as it is threatened with complete extinction. The tree grows for a very long time, up to 500 years.

Despite this, the most elite and expensive products are made from lunar ebony.

Breed overview

There are other valuable tree species in nature.

African rose tree

This breed has many names, such as bubinga, African rosewood, etc . The homeland of culture is Africa, it grows in places near rivers and lakes, where tracts of land lend themselves to flooding. The African rose tree is an evergreen plant that can reach a height of 50 m. It has a straight cylindrical trunk, up to 2 meters in diameter. Has a greenish-gray or reddish-brown bark with small rounded scales. During flowering, the tree throws out white flowers, collected in inflorescences up to 16 cm long.

The wood has a peculiar shade, which can be pinkish red, dark red, brown with dark purple or even black stripes . It is heavy, has a rather high density - 860-930 kg / m3, despite this indicator, moderately elastic. Distinctive features of wood are also considered insect resistance and durability. The material is easily polished, processed and impregnated.

It is used to produce musical instruments, luxury furniture, and use it as interior cladding. The bark of the tree has found its use in folk medicine - it helps with hypertension and gonorrhea.

Amaranth

Amaranth belongs to the legume family, popularly known as the purple tree . Due to the light color of the bark, it is also called the "purple heart". This genus includes 23 species that grow in the regions of South and Central America, in the rainforests of Brazil and the Amazon. In the natural environment, the tree can reach 10 m with a trunk circumference of 1.5 m. During the flowering period, the tree produces small white flowers collected in inflorescences.

It is interesting that the core of the trunk itself has a gray-brown color, and after cutting it takes on a completely different, purple hue . Such changes occur because it oxidizes when it interacts with moisture. The wood has large pores with a chaotic arrangement, and the annual rings are barely visible. The texture is medium, shiny, with a slight wavy pattern. Amaranth is a hard rock with excellent waterproof properties. Despite all these characteristics, it is very fragile, dries quickly without additional devices. Has the second class of strength and resistance to natural conditions.

Amaranth is not susceptible to attack by pests and fungal infection.

Agarwood

In the tropics in southeast Asia, an agar tree grows, which is also called aloe tree . Its wood is the most expensive of all, since the plant is on the verge of extinction. In addition to the wood itself, a fragrant substance is extracted from the agar tree, due to which a large number of species of this tree have been destroyed, and there are about 15 of them.

The resin that everyone hunts for appears on the tree as a result of his illness . The trunk of the scarlet tree is exposed to fungi and bacteria, while it produces a special protective resin - it is she who is so precious and aromatic. It is used to obtain aromatic oil or ready-made for the aromatization of premises. The scent of resin is a powerful aphrodisiac, and it is also used as a basis for drugs for sexual dysfunction. The oil contains about 150 components. Unfortunately, only 28 ml of the required substance can be obtained from 100 kg of resin. Oil is a pretty strong fixative in perfume.

It is mainly used by Arab perfumers - the durability of such perfumes lasts about a day.

Sandalwood

Sandalwood is very rare and expensive . Its homeland is considered to be the tropics of Asia and the equatorial forests of India. The plant is evergreen, can grow on any soil: sandy-clayey, stony. It grows both in the desert and in the mountains at any height above sea level. The most intense and strong aroma of wood is found in those trees that grow on very sparse soils. The need to survive provokes them to secrete oil. It accumulates only in an adult tree that is more than 10 years old. The trunk reaches 9 m in height and 1 meter in diameter.

It has a gray-brown bark, and the shade of the core ranges from white to light gray or brown . The plant can withstand high temperatures and enjoys abundant sunlight. Distinguish between white, red and yellow sandalwood. The most expensive is red, which has been valued for several thousand years. Products made from this wood are a symbol of luxury and wealth.

The cost of raw materials is high because the tree grows very slowly. And also the wood of sandalwood has a pleasant smell and durability.

Rosewood

Rosewood is found only in the center of Africa and on the island of Madagascar. It features a smooth surface with an unusual pattern of thin purple lines.

Nowadays, rosewood has become very rare, so the cost per cubic meter varies from $ 10,000.

Other

One of the most valuable breeds in the world is the grenadil, which grows in Africa . It is mainly found in Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. The inner part of the trunk is black, sometimes with a red tint.

The most beautiful wood species in the world belongs to the buckthorn family and is called pink ivory or "pink bone ". Mozambique and Zimbabwe are considered his homeland. The tree grows up to 15 m and is evergreen. It is in demand among the population due to its edible fruits. The wood of the tree is very heavy and dense, but, most importantly, it has a bright pink color.

List of breeds in Russia

Russia also has a large list of valuable tree species

The value of Russian timber is represented by Karelian birch , which has an individual pattern, manifested due to the stem pitting syndrome. Thanks to the characteristic internal bumps, part of the bark remains in the birch, due to this, an unusual trunk pattern is obtained inside. When cut, it looks like wooden marble.

Karelian birch is a rare species, used only for handicrafts and luxury furniture.

Cherry It is also considered one of the most expensive types of wood, because it has a beautiful color. It can be red, reddish brown, and even pinkish gray.

In Russia, this tree grows in many regions, so it cannot be called rare. It lends itself well to processing and polishing.

Oak wood it is distinguished by its valuable qualities, retains its unchanged appearance for a long time. If you process it correctly, you get a beautiful color, which over time acquires a special noble shade. Especially valuable is an oak that has lain under water for a long time, it is called bog oak.

Such a variety of it requires a long and thorough drying before processing without the use of additional devices.

Siberian larch can be distinguished from coniferous species ., which has a higher density than oak. Its wood has an unusual structure and color. The reddish-tinged kernel has a narrow yellow or white sapwood. Growth rings are clearly visible. The trunk is practically knot-free. Wood does not absorb water and does not tolerate drying well.

Due to this, larch is used for the production of parquet boards, since it has strong moisture-repellent properties.

White acacia plantations are located on the territory of our country in regions with a temperate climate. Acacia wood is light yellow in color, but darkens over the years. It is quite elastic, polishes well and requires careful drying, and is processed only raw.

Juniper wood is in demand due to its hardness . It has a high density, does not change its shape when it comes into contact with water. When cut, stripes and waves are visible. The roots of the tree are also used to make household items.

Maple is a valuable wood and surpasses all other varieties in hardness. After processing, it is almost white.

Drying raw materials requires care, as the wood can crack. For contrast, other types of wood are used in the products.

Application

Any kind of valuable wood has its own purpose and value . It is used for the manufacture of luxury furniture, musical instruments, and exclusive jewelry. Scraps of cheaper woods have found their application in the decoration of yachts, car interiors, parquet production, construction and the creation of gift crafts. Wood is widely used in shipbuilding. Wood with remarkable shades is used to decorate art products, pipes for smokers and figurines are made from it .… The more common types are used as construction lumber for the production of window frames, doors and stairs.

The more expensive the wood material, the lower the parameters of the original product.