Pink Ivory (Rhamnus zeyheri) grows only in SouthEast Africa (Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eastern South Africa) and is one of the rarest woods on earth, the tree is protected in South Africa and may only be felled with special, hard to obtain permission. In the past it was called the 'royal wood' of the Zulus, only tribal chieftains were allowed to fell the Pink Ivory tree, others were said to be sentenced to death for its mere possession. When the wood is polished, its pink heartwood takes on the luster of a precious stone while retaining the warmth of wood a unique colour in the world of woods. Its name is derived from the unique density and hardness of the wood, it equals Ivory in these qualities.
