Coraçao de Negro, Gombeira, Wamara, Panacoco, Brazilian ebony, ironwood: there are many popular names for this wood (Swartzia panacoco) that comes from Brazil, Guyana and Suriname. The wood occupies an exceptional role due to its high density, hardness and weight of about 1200 kg/m3, making it one of the heaviest and hardest woods in the world, also extremely resistant to weathering. The challenge of working this wood is probably the main reason why it is rarely found outside Brazil. The wood color is yellow-orange when freshly sawn and quickly darkens to a deep dark brown to almost black when exposed to oxygen. Attractive grain as interlocked figure occur frequently and give the fine-pored wood a silk-like luster and fine textures with an attractive, rosewood-like appearance. The wood has a wide variety of uses, ranging from flooring, home construction, musical instruments, bowed bows, woodturning, sculpture, bowling balls, knife handles and writing instruments. In recent years, it has taken its place in guitar making as a substitute for African ebony, since it is used by Fender and Gibson for the fingerboards on expensive models. Freshly cut Gombeira may be yellow inside, the color will turn to dark brown in a few days.
