Rosewood is the rarest, finest, and most revered wood species worldwide. It gives each piece an individual character that exudes boldness, strength, and unparalleled elegance. We carefully source the best species of rosewood available anywhere in the world.
Rare, dense, and richly hued, rosewood has been used for centuries to make everything from luxurious furniture, costly musical instruments, and even the fingerboard on the ’59 Telecaster belonging to Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. That’s why like countless artisans before us, we love and trust this gorgeous material.
Rosewood has the most beautiful heartwood with shades of golden orange to greenish-black. Darker streaks are interspersed with the heartwood, giving off an almost ribbon-like appearance. It also intermingles with shadier layers in either an interlocked or straight pattern, depicting a stunning ribbon.
In contrast to other woods, rosewood has resistance to root diseases. This immunity slows down decay and termite attacks, so it does not need any preservative treatment. Our rosewood belongs to the original Dalbergia Sissoo genus and comes from the South Asian region, representing qualities such as power and longevity. This genus of rosewood is akin to the Brazilian kind, and both these types are way better than the one from India because of the number of pores in it.
Rosewood is very rare and highly valuable, and at Boston Mills, our furniture is handmade from the highest quality of 100% original solid rosewood.
Additionally, all rosewood is now regulated regardless of where it comes from. That means that you need a permit to move it around internationally. Therefore, all of the rosewood used in Boston Mills furniture has been acquired legally in accordance and compliance with all domestic and international regulations. For more information, be sure to read our note on Rosewood Compliance.
SUSTAINABLE UNENDANGERED ROSEWOOD SOURCES
We firmly believe that all living things are part of a complex biosphere comprised of ecosystems. Hence, the conservation of all endangered species is critical to the health of our planet's environment. We carefully source only unendangered rosewood for our furniture.
CITES regulates rosewood because it's endangered in only certain countries. Our rosewood comes from the South Asian Region, where it's not endangered. However, a CITES permit is required to ensure the chain of custody, confirm the country of origin, and ensure no transshipping is involved. Issuance of CITES permits is a cumbersome and lengthy process. Still, at Boston Mills, we never import rosewood without a CITES permit.
Boston Mills has established long-term relationships with suppliers specializing in ethical and selective rosewood harvesting giving us priority access to rosewood from dead or fallen trees. Moreover, all of our rosewood comes from professionally managed forests for sustainability. For more information, please visit sustainability.
ROSEWOOD SELECTION PROCESS
We carefully consider the aging process of rosewood with the assistance of master artisans to air-dry the rosewood, so it's ready for the sculpting process. Air drying is a natural and lengthier lumber drying process which allows the logs to dry evenly and with minimal natural cracking.
Before building the furniture, we divide and arrange each batch of rosewood into groups wherein the predominant colors, and the typical figure is similar. Our experts spend an extensive amount of time in this process to create harmony in every product.
The method of sculpting the rosewood is in itself a work of art. The master craftsmen go through this step-by-step process and carefully carve each piece of furniture by hand, and the entire process takes an average of 16 to 20 months.
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ROSEWOOD FACTS
- Rosewood grows incredibly slowly; it takes a tree 300 years to produce a piece of wood five inches thick.
- Rosewood is a weighty hardwood, meaning it is one of the few types of wood that sinks in water.
- Rosewood comes in rich, colorful shades with finely-grained patterns.