That's pronounced Ja-duh-buh ... not Jah-toe-buh. We were corrected by one of our customers that is a doctor who lived in Brazil for many years. It has another name - Brazilian Cherry as it has similar coloring characteristics to our North American Cherry, but is not related in any other way. In it's natural state, the boards are a little darker than our cherry found in the USA.
The wood is used primarily for flooring and furniture. It is very hard and dense.
Jatoba is a huge canopy tree growing up to 130 feet tall; the crown is spreading and sometimes the base develops buttresses. It produces small red flowers and an oblong brown pod containing 3 - 4 seeds with a pulp that is edible.
In traditional medicine, the smooth gray bark of the jatoba tree is regarded as a natural energy tonic.
It has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.
At the base of the tree, a light natural yellow resin (copal) can be found; it is used in the production of varnish. Upon burning it has the smell of pine and it is also employed in traditional medicine.
Tea made from the bark is used against intestinal parasites and indigestion.
This wood is one of the hard woods used in high-end wood flooring. It is a rich color and is about 30% harder than white oak. It sands and buffs very nicely and feels very smooth in the hand due to the close grain.
As with all of our crosses, there were no stains, lacquers or preservatives used to finish your cross; only a natural oil which is hand-rubbed and polished to enhance the woods natural beauty. When you hold our crosses, you are “feeling” the wood and “seeing” the wood as God created it. No two are alike as boards will vary in color and graining due the environmental conditions it was produced. The shine on the cross is related to the amount of “resin” in the make-up of the wood itself. The more resin the higher the shine.
Crosses are handcrafted in our Palestine, Texas (USA) facility offering the highest quality.Crosses do not require polishing. Holding your cross will allow the oils from your hands to go into the wood and create a soft, patina glow. Never use oil or olive oil on our crosses.
Price noted is for 1 HoldingCross. The picture of multiple crosses is to share with you the diversity of the wood.
Thoughts on Engraving : This wood works well with engraving. Due to its tight grain, engraving comes out clear and precise.
Each cross comes in an organza bag with a StoryTag telling the name of the wood and a StoryScroll which contains suggested prayers, CareGiving stories and other information. We do not offer seconds or damaged crosses.Our crosses are all first quality and handcrafted in our shop by our family.
NOTE : The HoldingCross watermark in the picture does not appear on the crosses. The picture is marked for proprietary reasons.
