Who am I ?

Amaranth is a wood species immediately recognizable by its naturally purple color. Dense and hard, it has long been used in cabinetmaking for its properties, as well as for this particularly unusual color in wood.

It is one of the woods I regularly use in my jewelry, where its hue allows for purple pieces without the need for any dye.

Wood and its History

A colour that reveals itself over time

Amaranth’s colour has the particularity of transforming after the wood has been worked.

Freshly cut or worked, the wood is much lighter. Depending on the species of Peltogyne, its shade can then range from brown to purplish-brown, before gradually taking on its characteristic purple colour. CIRAD even describes, for some amaranths from Guyana, a nearly white heartwood immediately after sawing.

The purple colour appears naturally upon contact with air and light, without any dyeing. With prolonged exposure to light, it gradually darkens and evolves towards more brownish tones.

Where does Amaranth come from?

  • Common name: Amaranth, Purpleheart
  • Botanical name: Peltogyne spp.
  • Family: Fabaceae
  • Origin: Tropical America
  • Natural range: from Mexico, through Central America, to southern Brazil
  • Found notably in French Guiana

The name "amaranth" actually refers to several species of the genus Peltogyne with similar characteristics.

Did you know?

Amaranth also has a rather remarkable fire resistance for a wood. CTBF French Guiana indicates a conventional French classification of M2, corresponding to "flame retardant", under the conditions provided for this classification. The USDA Forest Service also reports that Purpleheart burns slowly and has high fire resistance.

Wood and hand

A dense and particularly hard wood

Amaranth is a dense, hard and resistant wood. Its average density is 0.87 at 12% humidity and its Monnin hardness reaches 7.6.

Monnin hardness measures the resistance of wood to indentation: the higher this value, the harder the wood. Amaranth is thus among the particularly hard species.

Amaranth in cabinet making

Its hardness, resistance and natural color make it a popular species for furniture, marquetry, turning, veneering and various decorative objects.

For the cabinetmaker, its color also has a particular interest: it allows to naturally create contrasts with other species without having to resort to a dye.

Caractéristiques techniques

Fil Généralement droit, parfois ondulé ou irrégulier
Texture Fine à moyenne
Séchage Normal à lent
Risque de déformation au séchage Faible

Les caractéristiques peuvent varier selon l’espèce de Peltogyne et les conditions de croissance.

Wood at Racines Artisanat

Where does the amaranth I work with come from?

The amaranth I use for my jewelry does not come from new wood purchased specifically for my creations.

I mainly work with amaranth offcuts recovered from Hervé Guiraud, a restorer of antique furniture. These pieces, which have become too small to be reused in furniture restoration, are perfectly suited for jewelry making.

The small size of my creations thus allows me to give value to precious wood pieces that would no longer necessarily have a use for other woodworking projects.

Why did I choose amaranth for my creations?

Amaranth interests me above all for its color. Few species naturally offer such a distinct purple hue, without any added coloring.

Its density and grain also allow for the creation of precise small forms. Depending on the piece used and its evolution, the purple can be more vibrant, deeper, or slightly brownish, giving each creation a different look.

It is also a species that particularly illustrates what I love about woodworking: the color and character of the jewelry come directly from the material, and not from an added effect.

Sources

  • CTBF Guyane — Amarante: physical characteristics, hardness, drying and fire reaction.
  • CIRAD — Bois et Forêts des Tropiques, Amarante: origin, species, properties and color evolution.
  • USDA Forest Service — Peltogyne spp. / Purpleheart: geographical distribution and wood characteristics.
  • USDA Forest Service — Timbers of the New World: properties, uses and fire resistance.

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