Since time immemorial, wood has always been used to create luxurious décor items and furniture. Some species of wood are used to create expensive items that are commonly found in king’s palaces and other affluent buildings. You can also turn your home into a luxurious fortress with these wooden fittings if you are willing to cough up a few thousand dollars.
This article offers you the 9 most expensive wood species in the world that you can choose for your furniture and other luxurious fittings.
Common Types of Wood
Mother Nature has endowed the world with a broad variety of wood, each with its unique characteristics and properties. Every type of wood is suitable for various applications. So, you can easily find the perfect type of wood for your furniture, frames, and other special fittings for your space.
Currently, there are more than 100,000 species of wood worldwide. However, scientists have narrowed down the list of available wood species by categorizing them into two main groups: hardwoods and softwoods. Hardwoods are trees with broad leaves and enclosed seeds or nuts, while softwoods are trees with coniferous, need-like leaves.
Contrary to what some people believe, the two names don’t necessarily indicate the hardness or softness of the wood. Therefore, not all hardwoods are tough, and not all softwoods are soft. The two categories of wood are suitable for multiple applications and can easily be interchanged in different projects.
When you’re choosing wood for your project, consider the unique properties and characteristics of the various types of wood available to determine the one that best suits your project. Certain wood properties are suitable for specific projects. For instance, if you’re planning to use wood as part of your main construction materials, you should avoid maple, canary wood, and Birch because they’re highly susceptible to natural decay.
For such projects, consider using harder wood species like Cumaru, Cedar, and Ipe. If you need wood that bends, avoid species like Ebony, Walnut, and Mahogany because they’re quite rigid and break easily. For any project that requires wood that bends, you should go for Spruce, Oak, and Teak.
You can also choose wood for your projects according to its aesthetics, especially if your project involves creating something visually appealing and unique. Fortunately, there’s a type of wood to suit everyone’s aesthetic preferences. The aesthetic aspects of wood include color, texture, silhouette, and grain.
The most common types of wood silhouettes include Birdseye, Quilted, Burl, and Curly. Colors range from black and white to red and green. If you’re looking for unique grain, try black walnut crotch, rosewood, or zebrawood.
Different types of wood have different degrees of feel, including smooth, fine, and rough. Some have large, open pores, while others like hard maple have a fine texture. That’s why boards obtained from hard oak and ebony feel extremely smooth.
Common Uses of Wood
As noted above, different types of wood are perfect for various applications. For centuries, wood has been used in the construction industry and other sectors like furniture engineering. Here are the most common uses of wood.
1. Construction and Railing
Almost every construction project involves the use of wood. Whether you’re constructing a residential home, a commercial house, or any other structure, you’ll need to use wood to create important components like frames, doors, roofs, floors, etc. You can also use wood to erect a fence around your property or decorate your garden.
2. Household Tools and Utensils
From time immemorial, some people have always found wooden utensils quite fascinating. Instead of using plastic or steel utensils, some people find wooden utensils safer and more convenient. Some eateries have come up with policies that require their customers to be served on wooden dishes.
Wooden utensils indicate elegance and increase the charm and exquisiteness of a home. Black walnut wood is the most common type of wood that’s used to make utensils. You can also use wood to make hand tools. For instance, most handles of hand tools are made of wood.
Wooden handles are suitable for tools that are exposed to heat because they’re heat resistant. That’s why you will find many types of kitchenware that come with wooden handles.
3. Artwork and Musical Instruments
Many decorative art pieces like sculptures and figurines are mainly created using wood. You can also use wood to make frames for your artboards and pictures. Most color plates are also made from wood.
Pianos drums, guitars, cellos, violins, flutes, and other common musical instruments require wood to produce the right tunes. For instance, guitars are commonly made from mahogany, ash, or maple wood.
4. Sporting Equipment
Wooden sporting equipment is more popular than the one made from plastic because it’s healthier and more sustainable. Many parents prefer wooden toys because they are less likely to contain toxic chemicals that may harm their children. That’s why you’ll notice many sporting gears like baseball bats, hockey sticks, and tennis rackets are made from wood.
5. Commercial Use
For so long, furniture makers have been solely relying on wood for their products. Even now, wood is the main raw material for furniture across the world. Wood is also used to build ships and other vessels.
Many types of stationeries like pencils and paper are made from wood. Lastly, wood is a major source of fuel. Before the discovery of gasoline, wood was the main source of energy. Some people around the world still use wood to keep their homes warm and to cook their meals.
9 Most Expensive Wood Species in the World
Have you ever tried to purchase an item made of wood and you were left surprised at its ridiculous price? Well, this is because some types of wood are very expensive. So, it’s important to know the value of the type of wood you want to buy before you place an order.
Several factors determine the value of wood, including its strength, resistance to decay, ease of use, and its rarity. The more uncommon the wood is, the more expensive it is. Here are the most expensive species of wood.
1. African Blackwood
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This wood is known for its high density and hardness. It’s commonly used to make musical instruments. African Blackwood is considered the most expensive species of wood globally.
Its trees have become very rare, and are almost becoming extinct. It’s also very difficult to work with, whether by hand or machine. This type of wood is worth every penny you spend on it because it’s very stable and highly resistant to twisting and warping.
2. Sandalwood
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This wood species is considered the second-most expensive wood in the world after African Blackwood. It’s mainly used for cosmetics, especially perfumes. This tree produces Sandalwood oil that’s widely sought after for its soft feel, creamy look, and long-lasting scent.
Unfortunately, this tree is increasingly becoming extinct, even as the demand for its oil continues to rise globally. This has made Sandalwood and its products very expensive.
3. Pink Ivory Wood
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Also referred to as Red Ivory, Pink Ivory is a special type of tree that mainly grows in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and some other parts of South Africa. Its wood is mainly used to produce knife handles and billiard cues. It’s also believed to have medicinal value.
Pink Ivory has a very high density, which makes it durable and resistant to deterioration. Some reports indicate that this tree is close to extinction, which explains why its products have become so expensive.
4. Purple Heart Wood
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Also referred to as Amaranth, Purple Heart is commonly found in different parts of Central America. The high demand for its products has led to the indiscriminate felling of Purple Heart trees, pushing them close to extinction. The main reason why this wood is so expensive is its uniqueness.
Although the wood is brown, its color changes to purple when a UV light is directed at it. This wood is also quite challenging to work with. When it’s heated with dull tools, Purple Heart wood produces resin, which can block your machine.
5. Lignum Vitae Wood
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This wood is considered to be the national tree of the Bahamas. It’s also known to be the most laborious and bulky wood to work with globally. The first nuclear-powered submarine in the world uses a bearing made from this wood.
Lignum Vitae wood produces natural oils that enable the bearing to self-lubricate, making it wear-resistant. Sadly, this tree is becoming extinct. It has already been included in the list of endangered species.
6. Bubinga Wood
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Bubinga is known for its high-quality wood that produces superior furniture and tools. That’s why it’s so expensive. This wood is also very durable and highly resistant to pest and marine borer attacks. But it’s quite easy to work with.
7. Agar Wood
This wood species is popular for its special products like tea, perfume, and essential oils. Unfortunately, the tree has become very rare, despite the increasing demand for its products.
8. Dalbergia Wood
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This wood is highly durable, strong, and very dense. It’s commonly used for making sporting items and furniture. The wood is quite difficult to work with and its sawdust can be poisonous to people and animals. This tree has become very rare.
9. Bocote Wood
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This type of wood is popular for its exquisite furniture and attractive flooring pieces. It features some incredible zebra-like distinctions and gallant figuring, giving its furniture a striking look. This tree has become very rare, with some environmentalists fearing that it’s about to become extinct.
