Maple lumber collection
Clean, pale domestic alternative for furniture and utility builds.
View optionBois de Rose Wood Guide
Wood species guide · Domestic hardwood species
Bois de Rose is best understood by how it looks, how it works, and where it should be used. This guide explains the practical buying details before sending you to the right Kingma products.
Scientific nameDalbergia maritima, Dalbergia louvelii
Janka hardness2,600 lbf
Average dried weight58 lb/ft³
Best fitMusical instruments
Overview
Why choose Bois de Rose?
Bois de Rose is a domestic hardwood species associated with Madagascar. It is useful when the project calls for musical instruments, inlay, fine furniture, carving, turned objects, and other small specialty wood items
For SEO and customer usefulness, this page separates the science from the buying decision: appearance, working behaviour, durability, project fit, and then the right Kingma shopping path.
Scientific nameDalbergia maritima, Dalbergia louvelii
DistributionMadagascar
ShrinkageRadial: 4.0%, Tangential: 6.7%, Volumetric: 10.8%, T/R Ratio: 1.7
DurabilityNo data available; being a dense rosewood, it is presumably very durable.
Bois de Rose colour, grain, and figure
Expect heartwood color is a vibrant magenta or reddish purple, sometimes with darker violet-black streaks. Overall color tends to darken with age to a deep purple to nearly black.
In practical selection, the grain and texture are best treated this way: has a fine uniform texture with a very high natural luster.
Working notes
In the shop, bois de Rose is an excellent turning wood. Turns and finishes well, and takes a high natural polish.
Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, rosewood in the Dalbergia genus , (such as Bois de Rose), has been reported as a sensitizer .
Bois de Rose should be sold by project fit: colour, workability, durability, and the format the customer actually needs.
Best uses for Bois de Rose
Best projects
Musical instruments, inlay, fine furniture, carving, turned objects, and other small specialty wood items
Use caution
Avoid specifying it by name alone; confirm board size, moisture, colour, figure, and the project environment before buying.
Finish strategy
Test finishes on offcuts first, especially when colour, blotching, outdoor exposure, or grain filling matters.
Buying note
Choose boards, slabs, plywood, blanks, or posts based on the project rather than species name alone.
Shop path
Buying Bois de Rose from Kingma
Start with the direct species match when Kingma sells it. If stock rotates, use the closest live collection or a clearly explained alternative.
Live edge slabs
Use when the customer cares more about slab format and visual impact than this exact species.
View optionSimilar woods and alternatives
If Kingma does not have an exact match online, use the buying links below as practical alternatives only when the colour, grain, hardness, or project environment makes sense.
Bois de Rose FAQ
What is Bois de Rose best used for?
Bois de Rose is best considered for musical instruments, inlay, fine furniture, carving, turned objects, and other small specialty wood items. Match it to the exact board format, colour, hardness, and finish plan before buying.
Is Bois de Rose beginner friendly?
It depends on density, grain direction, and tooling. Test cuts on offcuts first, and choose Maple, Cherry, Walnut, or Poplar when easier machining is the priority.
Does Kingma sell Bois de Rose?
Use the buying section on this page. If an exact product is not listed, the linked alternatives are included only when they make practical sense for colour, grain, or project use.