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PINK
IVORY
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(Berchemia zeyheri) Pink Ivory wood known as
the "royal wood" of the Zulus Tribe as only full-fledged members of the
Zulu Kingdom's royal family were officially allowed to possess it back
in the 1800s. It's rumored that any non-royal entity (foreigners
included) found in possession of Pink Ivory would face the death
penalty. This is not a true fact but a plan to drive up the price, which
worked very well.
Pink Ivory is especially favored nowadays by carvers and turners,
and is typically used to make smaller-sized items such as bowls, pool
cue butts, chess pieces, golf putters, knife handles, and game calls; it
is also popular for inlay and marquetry work. Pink Ivory blanks are
usually on the narrower side because the trees — found predominantly in
South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique — rarely produce trunks wider
than a foot in diameter (the trees reach heights of about 20 to 40
feet).
This wood is one of the rarest
woods in the world. |