Description

Ebony is a dense black wood, most commonly yielded by several species in the genus Diospyros , but ebony may also refer to other heavy, black (or dark colored) woods from unrelated species. Ebony is dense enough to sink in water. Its fine texture, and very smooth finish when polished, make it valuable as an ornamental wood. The word "ebony" derives from the Ancient Egyptian hbny , via the Ancient Greek ἔβενος ( ébenos ), by way of Latin and Middle English .

Species of ebony include Diospyros ebenum (Ceylon ebony), native to southern India and Sri Lanka ; Diospyros crassiflora (Gaboon ebony), native to western Africa ; and Diospyros celebica (Madagascar ebony), native to Indonesia and prized for its luxuriant, multi-colored wood grain. Mauritius ebony, Diospyros tesselaria , was largely exploited by the Dutch in the *7th century. Some species in the genus Diospyros yield an ebony with similar physical properties, but striped rather than evenly black ( Diospyros ebenum ).