The price of sandalwood furniture seems to be a perennial topic of discussion. Why is it so expensive? Where does the sandalwood come from? Is there truly such a thing as genuine sandalwood furniture? These are just some of the questions many people have when they see prices that can range from $200-$4500. With all this talk, one might wonder if there’s any truth at all behind the myth of the costliness of sandalwood furniture. Here, we hope to answer these questions and more in order to help you make an informed decision about whether or not this type of furniture is worth your time, effort, and money.
What is sandalwood furniture?
Sandalwood furniture is a type of wood that is used to make furniture such as desks, tables, bed frames and chairs. The wood has a beautiful golden brown color and the grain is straight and even.
One of the most distinguishing features of sandalwood furniture is that it smells like sandalwood when you buy it. This is because the wood comes from the sandal tree which grows in India and other Asian countries.
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The scent may not last very long, but if you’re new to sandalwood furniture it’s worth testing out for yourself before buying any pieces.
The myth of the costliness of sandalwood furniture
Sandalwood has been valued for centuries for its rarity, beauty, and distinctive fragrance. Perhaps because of this, there are many misconceptions about the costliness of sandalwood furniture.
The truth is that when you compare the cost of sandalwood furniture to other types of furniture like leather or mahogany, it’s actually not all that expensive. For example, one mahogany bedroom set costs $6335 while a sandalwood bedroom set can range from $200-$4500. This means that despite the price difference between these two types of wood, the variety in price isn’t so much greater than with other types of furniture.
There are many factors that influence the cost of wood-based furniture in general—the type of wood used to make it, the quality and quantity of pieces produced at once, and the size and weight are just some examples.
So whether or not you choose to invest in sandalwood furniture depends on your personal preference for this type of furniture as well as how much you’re willing to spend on it. While there is no question that it is more expensive than other types of wood furnishings, it’s really up to individual consumers to decide whether or not they
Why is it so expensive?
Sandalwood furniture has been a long-time symbol of wealth and affluence. In the past, it was used sparingly as people only had a few pieces around their home. Usually, these would be given away or donated to temples once the sandalwood became too old and brittle.
Nowadays, sandalwood is no longer an endangered wood because of replanting efforts. But the high price still remains due to the labor-intensive process for its manufacture as well as the rarity factor. Sandalwood is such a rare commodity that it can’t be harvested like other types of wood because it doesn’t regenerate quickly enough. The trees need up to 100 years to grow before they’re ready for harvesting and then another 10 years just to dry out enough to be marketable.
Sandalwood furniture is so expensive because it’s so hard and time-consuming to produce. It needs specialty treatment and can’t be created in large quantities for this reason. It also takes an incredible amount of skill and attention during production which all adds up to its high price tag today.
Where does the sandalwood come from?
Sandalwood is in the same family tree as cinnamon and camphor. Sandalwood trees grow in India, China, and Southeast Asia in areas with high humidity. The wood grows finely grained and ranges in color from light yellow to brown-red.
It was once used by indigenous peoples to make utensils like bowls, boxes, and chests. Today, many people still use it to make jewelry boxes or perfume holders because of its pleasant scent. For centuries now, the aromatic wood has been used for religious ceremonies in Hinduism and Buddhism because it has a calming effect.
China is by far the largest producer of sandalwood trees worldwide. It’s estimated that China supplies about 85% of all sandalwood, coming from plantations that were established in 1967 following deforestation caused by Japanese occupation during WWII. That means most of the world’s supply of genuine sandalwood furniture comes from China!
Is there really such a thing as genuine sandalwood furniture?
There are many types of wood. Some of them, like teak and walnut, are as expensive as sandalwood furniture. So the answer is no; not all wood is more expensive than sandalwood.
But what about those who claim that you can’t find genuine sandalwood furniture? This is true: You can’t find genuine sandalwood furniture. There’s a good reason for that: There’s no such thing!
Many people believe that there is such a thing as genuine sandalwood furniture because this statement has been repeated so often. However, there is no such thing as “genuine” or “real” sandalwood furniture because it’s made from the same material as many other types of wood–like walnut and mahogany.
Sandalwood furniture is made from various different types of wood – including walnut and mahogany – which will all cost about the same price per square foot to purchase for making a piece of furniture.
Conclusion
With the emergence of cheaper substitutes for real sandalwood, it is becoming more and more difficult to find genuine pieces. Most people have been led to believe that the costliness of sandalwood furniture is due to the exorbitant prices of the timber, when in fact it is the exceedingly rare quality of the wood which makes it so expensive. If you are in the market for a new piece of furniture, be sure to do your research and ask the right questions before making a purchase.