CrystalMood Handmade Carved Wood Hair Stick Chinese Ruyi Lignum-vitae

[Boxwood] Boxwood is a small tree and shrub. Due to the limited size of the material, it is rarely used for full-sized pieces of furniture, but more often for small, carved objects or as decorative inlay. Boxwood is very durable and dense (.83-.93 g/cm3), and its fine even texture makes it especially suitable for carving. Numerous varieties, which all produce material of similar characteristics, are widely distributed throughout China; noted timber varieties are also harvested in Hubei, Jiangxi, and Sichuan. The tree grows very slowly, with some varieties reaching only 10-15 cm diameter after 100 years; forests of Laoshan in Shandong produce boxwood trees with diameters reaching 30 cm. The sapwood and heartwood of boxwood are indistinguishable, and their freshly cut pale-yellow color turns to a warm brownish-yellow tone after exposure. Because of its extremely small vessel cells, the texture is exceptionally smooth and fine, and the surface polishes to a silky luster.

[Lignum-vitae Wood] "Wood of Life". Lignum-vitae is an extremely dense wood which sinks in water. It is one of the heaviest densest wood in the world. Beautiful black green and brown grain. The fine texture of the wood grain is especially suitable for intricate carving. It features slight sandalwood fragrance. Lignum-vitae has a yellowish green color when it's freshly cut and turns to dark green gradually while under sunshine or light for 24 hours or more. It contains rich protein which can sometimes form white crystallization on the wood surface if not being used for a while. The crystallization may sometimes be mistaken for mold. But it actually does not present any unpleasant smell and can be easily wipe off by fabric clothes. As a matter of fact, the color changing and white crystallization are two important facts that differ this kind of rare wood from faked ones. Being left unused for a long time, lignum-vitae wood may also show tiny drops of resin on its surface. The resin drops feel a little tacky to touch and are usually in brown color. They too can be removed by polishing with fabric clothes.

[Peachwood] In China, for thousands of years, peach tree is known as sacred tree as all evil spirits fear it. In ancient time, people hang objects made of peachwood on their doors to protect themselves from the evil. The peach is a symbol of longevity thus often be presented to the elders for their birthdays for health and longevity. Therefore, peachwood is considered to be a symbol of blessing, peace and auspicious.

[Ebony] Ebony is one of the most intensely black woods known, which, combined with its very high density (it is one of the woods that sink in water), fine texture, and ability to polish very smoothly, has made it very valuable as an ornamental wood.  It has a fine closed grain which is very brittle, and the color can be pure black to black and brown. Because it grows as a small-diameter tree, it is rarely used as primary material for large pieces of furniture, but more often shaped into secondary decorative elements or as small precious objects.

[Rosewood] As part of Dalbergia family, rosewood can be found in many different hues. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for instruments, crafts, furniture, luxury flooring etc. The rosewood used for Crystalmood hair sticks is Burmese rosewood (Dalbergia oliveri) which can be found in southeast Asia. The color of this rosewood ranges from an medium orange to a darker reddish brown; sometimes with darker black streaks. It maintains color better than other colorful exotic woods, and features beautiful medium-fine texture and a natural luster, which makes ideal for art, crafts and wooden jewelry items.

[Take Care Your Wood Hair Accessories] Your wood hair stick or comb needs continuous care and maintenance to serve you longer and well. They should not be in exposure to direct sunshine too long, just as any wood crafts. They are sensitive to temperature and moisture. They should not be put in water (e.g. in shower). Keep them dry. Apply walnut oil and wipe/polish with soft fabric once a month would be the best. (Do not oil lacquered wood hair sticks or combs). Do not expose the wood products to extreme temperatures, excessive moisture. They easily swell at normal temperature when moist, then shrink and crack when temperature or moisture changes . Remove moisture after use by wiping with clean, soft fabric. It’s quite common for a wood products to warp and crack if the environment is not ideal. However it is easy to fix the crack. All you need are adhesive and simple tools. Apply a small amount of epoxy clear adhesive along the cracked area. Once it’s hard and set, add more adhesive and fill the crack. Also spread thinly on the surface. Wait until the attachments are firmly hard. If necessary, sand the area smooth with a small file. (Tip: wrap some sandpaper over a small object will work too).