•• w o o d
Wood is classified as softwood or hardwood based on the type of tree it came from. Conifiers, or
evergreen trees including pines and firs, are generally softwoods. The grain is more open and
they take stain easily and evenly. However, the wood is easy to dent or mar, as anyone with
young children can attest. Hardwoods are generally from decidious trees like maple, beech,
cherry and walnut, and the grain is typically more uniform though it's dependent on the
source of the lumber.
One of the hardest woods is the desert ironwood, a native of the Sonoran desert region. It is
resistant to rotting, though this is not necessarily an endearing quality since toxic chemicals
in the heartwood are probably responsible for the longevity. Although olive trees are evergreen
trees, their wood is also quite hard and can be very old; centuries or even thousands of years old.
On the down side: olive tree pollen is among the worst for allergens! Hardwoods are beautiful but
rarely found in bead form.
The exotic hardwoods used for most beads are from Asian parawood, Filipino bayong and kamagong and roble wood
from the Central American trumpet tree, as well as Taiwanese cheesewood that stained or painted in