Wood Species Guide
Brazilian Rosewood
Dalbergia nigra
Also called: Rio Rosewood, Bahia Rosewood, Jacarandá, Jacarandá-da-Bahia
What Brazilian Rosewood looks like
Heartwood ranges from chocolate brown to purplish or reddish brown with dark streaks, and the best pieces show a black spiderweb or landscape figure. The pale yellow sapwood is sharply set off.
Grain and texture
Grain is usually straight but can be wavy or interlocked. Texture is medium to coarse with open pores.
Working Brazilian Rosewood: planing, cutting and gluing
Works fairly easily for its weight and has only a slight blunting effect. Natural oils can make gluing tricky, so wipe joints with acetone first. It turns beautifully and gives off a sweet, rose-like smell.
Finishing Brazilian Rosewood: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Oils in the wood can slow some finishes, so wipe with acetone and use a shellac sealer before a film finish. For epoxy, wipe, seal and then pour so the oils don't stall the cure. It buffs to a deep shine with just wax.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Heartwood is very resistant to rot and insects, and it is stable once dry. Most surviving stock is old and well seasoned. Indoors in Florida, keep it in the AC and away from vents.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Brazilian rosewood is the famous guitar and piano-case wood, and it is now one of the most protected timbers in the world. Legal pieces are old stock that comes with paperwork, and prices match. We don't stock it and don't trade in new wood; ask us about legal look-alikes such as East Indian rosewood or pau ferro.
Common uses for Brazilian Rosewood
Guitar backs and sides, fine furniture, veneer, piano cases, knife handles and turned objects (historically).
Sustainability and CITES status
Listed on CITES Appendix I, the most restrictive level, which covers finished products as well. Trade is limited to documented stock from before the listing. It is also rated Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Safety and toxicity
- Sensitizer (allergy builds with exposure)
- Skin irritation
- Eye irritation
A known sensitizer, like most true rosewoods. Eye and skin irritation are the common reactions, and sensitivity can build with repeated exposure.
- In the shop
- Full precautions: dust extraction, respirator, gloves and long sleeves
- Food contact
- Not recommended for cutting boards, bowls and utensils
General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.
Brazilian rosewood is a known sensitizer, most often causing eye and skin irritation. Like other rosewoods, reactions can worsen with repeat exposure, so use dust extraction, a respirator and gloves.
Brazilian Rosewood in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Brazilian Rosewood listed online right now, but new slabs and lumber come in all the time and not everything makes it to the website. Tell us what you're building and we'll check our racks and suppliers.
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