Purpleheart is one of the world’s most unique woods in that it is truly purple in color. Purpleheart is a very dense wood with fine graining. It is used for its purple color. Purpleheart is colorful, durable, stable, and makes for a beautifully unique floor.

BOTANICAL NAME:

ORIGIN:

Central & South America – prime growing areas are the Amazon region of Brazil as well as British, French and Dutch Guiana.

COMMON NAMES:

Purpleheart, Amaranth, Violetwood, Sucupira, Palo Morado, Bois Violet, Morado, Nazareno, Tananeo, Koroboreli, Amarante, Pau Roxo, Guarbu, Saka, Sakavalli.

JANKA HARDNESS:

2890 – 124% harder than Northern Red Oak

DIMENSIONAL STABILITY:

Excellent – Change Coefficient .00212 – 43% more stable than Northern Red Oak.

RELATIVE ABUNDANCE:

Purpleheart has been exploited extensively for years because of its high strength and durability as well as its unusual color and beauty. It is increasingly rare, and is nearing extinction in parts of its original range.

INTERESTING FACTS:

Purpleheart is one of the world’s most unique woods in that it is truly purple.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The heartwood of Purpleheart is brown when freshly cut. The wood turns a very deep rich purple to a purple brown over time. The sapwood is light cream in color. The texture is medium to fine. The grain is usually straight

COLOR CHANGE:

Purpleheart undergoes an extreme degree of color change over time. When freshly milled or sanded, Purpleheart will be a brown color, which will change within a few days to a vivid purple color. Then over time (6 months +) the vivid purple will oxidize back to a brownish color with purplish highlights. Water based finishes tend to inhibit the full color change and hold more of the purple color.

MAIN USES:

Purpleheart is prized for its vivid purple color and is exported around the world as fine veneer and lumber for many uses. Purpleheart is used in fine furniture making, ship building, tool handles, flooring, flooring inlays and accents, turnery, and specialty items such as art objects, jewelry, picture frames and silverware handles. In the countries where it grows, the hard and heavy wood is also used for more utilitarian purposes due to its superior strength and durability.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

Very heavy, hard, strong, and stiff with good decay resistance and stability in service. Steam-bends moderately well.

WORKING PROPERTIES:

Sometimes difficult to work with due to hardness and a tendency to tear and split. Pre-drilling required for screws and nails. Glues easily and polishes well with no staining required.