Ebony wood is commonly found in India.
Ebony is the wood of a tropical tree found in Africa and parts of Asia, especially Ceylon and India. The distinctly black core has been prized for musical instruments, fine furniture, canes, chess sets, and other ornamental purposes for thousands of years. Stunning examples of ebony carving can be found in African markets today, as well as in Egyptian tombs and Indian palaces. The unusually dense wood can be difficult to work with due to its hardness, but talented craftsmen can carve beautiful and elegant works of art from it.
Ebony is sometimes used in more expensive chess sets.
The genus Diospyros, which includes the classic Diospyros ebonum, is quite large, with more than 250 species. In addition to trees used for lumber, it includes fruit trees such as persimmons and date plums, and the leaves and bark of ebony trees are also used for a variety of purposes. Several species of this multipurpose tree genus are threatened in some areas because they have been harvested unsustainably for the precious heartwood. Various organizations concerned with the health of the world’s forests are working to preserve the remnants of the world’s ebony and to find a way to use the wood in an environmentally friendly way.
Finding real ebony can be difficult because the wood is so expensive and many craftsmen are content with imitations to keep costs down. Using the weight of the wood is the best way to determine if something is made of real ebony or not, because it feels heavier than it looks. You can also inspect the grain of the wood as it has a fine firm grain which is also very characteristic. The use of color is not a good indicator, as some types, such as Macassar ebony, have a natural grain and most species lighten over time, prompting craftsmen to dye pieces before selling them. which can hide the true color of the wood.
The color, grain and texture of ebony vary slightly depending on the origin of the wood. Many dealers prefer ebony from India or Ceylon because they claim that these woods are of superior quality and tend to be denser and less brittle. However, they also tend to fade faster and are often stained as a result. African ebony is a much darker color and has been harvested so heavily that the wood may not be available for use by future generations. Wherever it comes from, wood is marked by an unusual beauty and density that have captivated people for centuries.