Often, we get questions on what exactly stabilized wood is and how rings made using stabilized wood compare to those made out of Wood veneer wrapped around a silver core. So, here are some facts for you.
Stabilized wood is wood treated with resins to produce wood that is water resistant, will not crack or warp under normal wear. The process of stabilizing wood involves several steps:
- Wood needs to be dried out completely. Any moisture left will compromise the final product
- the wood is then placed into a vacuum chamber submerged in resin. The vacuum helps remove any air bubbles from the wood, which are then replaced by resin, once the vacuum is turned off.
- Coloring stabilized wood is done by mixing pigments into the resin. They penetrate deep into the wood and this is where the beautiful colors, other than natural wood colors, come from.
- After the wood has been completely soaked in resin – a simple float test will confirm that there are no more air bubbles left – the wood is heat treated to cure the resin. Et voilà!
The beauty of stabilized wood, regardless of whether it has been “dyed” or not, is that no two pieces are ever the same. The rings we create are all hand turned and the silver cores are handmade by us in our studio.
The last question: how does stabilized wood ring compare to the cheaper veneer rings? Short answer: there’s no comparison as stabilized wood is superior in all aspects from durability to the “looks”.
Let me know if you would like me to elaborate on the differences between the two some more – I’d be happy to oblige.
