Purple Heartwood
From BMEzine Encyclopedia
Purple Heartwood (Peltogyne Densiflora)or Purpleheart, as it is more commonly known, is a genus of 23 species of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, native to tropical regions of Central and South America, where they occur in tropical rainforest.
They are medium-sized to large trees growing to 30-50 m tall, with trunk diameters of up to 1.5 m. The leaves are alternate, divided into a symmetrical pair of large leaflets 5-10 cm long and 2-4 cm broad. The flowers are small, with five white petals, produced in panicles. The fruit is a pod containing a single seed.
It's use in jewelry is limited, as it is more commonly used as a decorative element in fine woodworking (pens, knife handles, etc.).
Jewelry
The general characteristics of Purpleheart make it ideal for body jewelry. It is among the densest of readily available exotic hardwoods, has little to no porosity, and turns a vibrant purple colour when oxidized. When first cut, however, it is a dull and uninteresting brown colour. The colour change occurs over a span of about a month, depending on environmental conditions.
