Trade names: Rosewood, Bahia Rosewood Country of origin: South America, especially Brazil Occurrence: South America, mainly in eastern Brazil in the tropical lower rainforests, very rare as veneer wood because the tree grows only in small dimensions. Uses: High-quality interior woodwork, popularly used as inlay wood (France), finishing wood for furniture, paneling and luxury items. Character: The heartwood is yellowish, irregularly reddish veined, striped or spotted and fades when exposed to light and air, but has a very decorative effect. The Bahia Rosewood presents itself to the viewer with its color contrasts in a striking and very decorative picture. This image is dominated by an unusual color combination with a brown-yellow base color and clearly contrasting dark pink to reddish stripes or flowers. The best effects of this very hard and fine wood are achieved with polished surfaces, which bring out the color contrasts most beautifully. Treatment of the surface with light-protective pigments is recommended in all cases to preserve the beautiful coloring. Special features: Rosewood is a rather inaccurate colloquial collective name for various tropical wood species. It has nothing to do with the wood of the rose, as the name suggests, but is based on a popular and repeatedly made translation error: Ignorant people repeatedly translate the Anglo-American word Rosewood for rosewood with just that false rosewood. Most rosewood today is exported to Japan and the USA. Primarily to make chopsticks and furniture from it. But French carpenters also like to make ornate cabinets and display cases from rosewood. It was also often used to make cutlery handles.