Ebony is a tree that grows in India and Sri Lanka. The heart wood from this tree is nearly black and has been used for making fine furniture for as long as furniture has been made. It is so dense that it does not make very good boats. It will sink in water.
Ebony is the opposite of Ivory...meaning black is Ebony and white being Ivory. Like the song sung by Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder. The lyrics are here if you'd care to read them: www.dapslyrics.com
Ebony is the highly prized wood of a tropical tree native to Africa and parts of Asia including Ceylon and India. It is a distinct black heartwood that is used for fine furniture, musical instruments, chess sets, canes, and other decorative items. Ebony is particularly suited to carving because it is an uncommonly dense wood. It can be difficult to work with because it is so hard, but skilled craftspeople can make elegant pieces from this wood and some striking examples can be found in African marketplaces.
Like many natural products prized to humans, a number of genus of trees are threatened in areas where they have been harvested using unsustainable methods. The Diospyros genus, which includes the Diospyros ebonum, is very large, having over 250 species. This genus includes trees that are used for timber as well as fruit trees including the persimmon and date plum. The ebony tree need not be harvested only for it’s precious heartwood: The leaves and bark of these trees are used for a variety of purposes. There are organizations that work to preserve the health of global forests and they are endeavoring to find a way to use ebony in an ecologically sound manner.
A number of craftspeople work with imitation ebony because the cost of true ebony can be very high. The easiest way to test if an item has been made from true ebony is it’s weight. Ebony should always be heavier than it looks. Colour is not a good indicator, unfortunately, because most species of ebony naturally lighten in colour with age. Many artisans will dye ebony pieces before selling them as a result and Macassar ebony has a naturally streaky grain that makes it unique. Most other ebony has a fine grain that is quite distinctive.
In order to differentiate between types of ebony, many craftspeople and tradespeople will include the ebony’s origin when referring to it. Colour, grain, and texture will vary slightly between countries such as India or Ceylon. Less dense and less brittle ebony is most highly valued. Both India ebony and Ceylon ebony are considered to be of a higher quality. They also are among those ebonies that fade quickly so are often dyed. African ebony is much darker in colour naturally but is in danger of being depleted in the near future.
