What makes macassar ebony wood so desirable
What makes macassar ebony wood so desirable

Macassar ebony wood, also known as Makassar ebony lumber
is a magnificent ebony wood from Indonesia.

Exotic macassar ebony wood is robust, dense, and stiff, as well as being extremely rare.

Diospyros celebica is a flowering tree of the Ebenaceae family that is unique to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, according to Wikipedia. Makassar ebony is the colloquial name for the island’s principal harbor, Makassar. Macassar ebony is variegated, streaky brown and black in color, and almost always has large stripes.

 

macassar ebony woodA bit of history

Makassar, which was already a thriving port when the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century, was later taken over by the Dutch, who erected a trade post in 1607 and eventually ousted the Sultan in 1669. It served as the capital of the Dutch-sponsored state of East Indonesia for a brief while (1946–49). (Indonesia Timur).

What makes macassar ebony wood so expensive

There are several reasons why macassar ebony is such a costly wood:

First, there’s a lot of demand. Diospyros wood products are in high demand. It represents richness and luxury in the same way as koa wood does. It’s worth noting that this isn’t a new phenomenon. Pharaohs in Egypt utilized it to show off their wealth. As a result, unlike most other hardwoods, it retains its luxury status today.

Then there’s Limited Growth Areas. All Diospyros cultivars have a rather small growing area. Its native range is a rather tiny area in Southeastern Asia. Furthermore, trees grow singly rather than in clusters. Finally, their expansion is dispersed among Indonesia’s small islands. As a result, harvesting is logistically challenging.

The next point to consider is historical significance. It was prized as a luxury wood by European aristocrats as well as ancient Egyptian kings.

In addition, there’s the slow growth cycle as trees mature slowly, taking 60-200 years to reach full maturity. This has a significant impact on the commercial supply of ebony logs. Macassar is also prized for its distinctive striped appearance.

Finally, a high wood density is desirable. Its great density sets it apart from other hardwoods. Despite the fact that wood density does not necessarily correlate with pricing, it distinguishes ebony from most other woods.

Macassar Ebony is a rare wood with a heartwood that is said to be robust, hefty, and unyielding. The wood is often used for decoration because of its fantastic look and stripes. Expensive musical instruments such as high end electric guitars are made of this incredibly durable and rare wood. Ebony’s appearance is occasionally replicated by dyeing other woods black, such as Hornbeam.

LTJarbor offer

LTJarbor has a stock of wild grown macassar ebony wood from the jungles of South East Asia, reclaimed and cut many years ago. Because ebony wood is unique, and probably the most expensive wood in the world, it is rarely utilized in traditional woodworking applications like cabinets or general millwork. 

Macassar ebony wood is definitely a pricey wood that’s hard to come by. As a result, popular hardwoods rarely offer it as a wood alternative. However, at LTJarbor we can offer big tabletop size slabs of ebony wood that you won’t find anywhere else. Only at Ltjarbor.

article by:

Daniele Pais 

A tech enthusiast with a passion for interior design,
architecture and modern technology.

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