08 Nov Discovering santos rosewood, a great character wood
Among the most appreciated exotic woods to embellish the furniture is santos rosewood, an original essence of the forests of Bolivia and Brazil, characterized by a deep red color tending to brown and capable of returning yellow or purple reflections from the surface, furrowed from straight and clear veins to fine texture.
Chosen for its pleasant appearance, santos rosewood is a very versatile, heavy and resistant wood, also suitable for making scaffolding and floor boards; it is also durable even in the presence of moisture.
“In Italy the santos rosewood began to be known and found meaningful uses only starting from the mid-70s – explains Alberto Seralvo -, as a substitute for rio rosewood or jacaranda, a wood that in the same years came to be unavailable, because it was contingent on the Country of origin, Brazil, to remedy the reckless collection of previous years ”.
Initially used for its resemblance, santos rosewood (scientific name Machaerium Scleroxylon) has since been known to be appreciated for its peculiar qualities of aesthetics and resistance. Although it is easier to find in the natural environment because it tends to grow in densities of the same species, it remains in any case a noble and precious wood, with costs ranging from 4500 to 6500 euros per cubic meter, depending on the size of sawn timber, against 1300 of oak or 360 of linden.
Seralvo knows well the palissandro santos that today imports exclusively from Bolivia, preferring its quality over the similar wood of Brazilian origin. The precious wood is today among the 170 essences available in stock both as boards and as veneers.
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