Exotic ceylon /East Indian satinwood 

Color/Appearance: Heartwood ranges from light to golden yellow, to orangish brown. Whitish yellow sapwood generally paler than heartwood, but not always clearly demarcated from heartwood. Frequently seen with a mottled or rippled grain pattern, resembling ripples in satin fabric, lending to its name satinwood.

Grain/Texture: Grain is interlocked, producing an attractive mottle figure, as well as striped or roey patterns on quartersawn surfaces. Texture is fine and even, with a very high natural luster.

Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; medium pores in no specific arrangement, numerous; solitary and primarily radial multiples of 2-6; heartwood deposits occasionally present; growth rings distinct; narrow rays not visible without lens, spacing normal; parenchyma marginal.

Rot Resistance: Rated as very durable regarding decay resistance, though susceptible to insect attack.

Workability: Turns superbly. Glues and finishes well—able to take a high natural polish.

Odor: Has a faint, pleasing scent when being worked.

Pricing/Availability: Increasingly scarce, with prices very high. Typically only available in veneer form, though some boards (mostly unfigured) are occasionally available. Figured pieces (particularly solid lumber) are likely to be extremely expensive.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices,

Common Uses: Veneer, inlays, fine furniture, turned objects, and other small specialty items.

Comments: The original satinwood. The sole species in the Chloroxylon genus: besides being botanically separate, this wood also has a unique combination of hardness, density, smooth texture, natural luster, grain figure, and color that’s unmatched. Only West Indian Satinwood (Zanthoxylum flavum) in the related Rutaceae family has been historically accepted as a peer and equal that’s deserving of the satinwood title.

Related Species:

None available.