Material knowledge
Cherry in intarsia and veneer work
Cherry is a warm, medium-light wood with a fine, silky surface, and it changes like hardly any other: in the light it darkens from a light, rosy brown to a deep red-brown. Working with cherry means planning for that change rather than being surprised by it.
What cherry is
Two species are mainly sold as cherry: European wild cherry and American black cherry, which is often traded as American cherry. Both give a medium-hard, fine wood with a warm, reddish tone. American cherry is usually somewhat more evenly coloured and occasionally shows dark gum streaks.
Cherry has a long history in furniture making. In the Biedermeier period it was one of the most popular woods for large, calm veneered surfaces whose warm tone was their only ornament (the history of intarsia).
Colour, pores and sapwood
Freshly sanded cherry is a light reddish brown, often with a rosy sheen. Its pores are diffuse and very fine, and the surface looks silky and smooth. In lightness it lies between oak and walnut; in colour temperature it is clearly warm.
At the edge of the trunk lies the sapwood, which is much lighter than the heartwood, almost as light as maple. A sheet of veneer with a sapwood edge therefore gives two colours, and the difference tends to grow as it darkens, because the sapwood darkens less (judging veneer quality).
Darkening: its most important property
Cherry is one of the woods that darken most in the light. A light, rosy brown becomes a deep, warm red-brown. The biggest change happens in the first months, and after that it slows down. For intarsia that has three consequences:
- The contrast moves: next to a light wood such as maple or ash the difference grows, next to walnut or mahogany it shrinks.
- New pieces stand out: a freshly set piece of cherry is lighter than its aged neighbours until it has darkened along with them.
- Shadow edges: where something covers the cherry, it stays lighter. Hardly any wood shows shadow edges as clearly.
So some workshops leave cherry evenly in the light for a few days before finishing, so that the first, strongest change is over. How light changes woods in general is described in UV light and ageing.
Cherry in contrast
Cherry is a warm middle tone. It carries an area without dominating and needs a light partner for a pattern to read. With maple it makes a warm, soft pairing; with ash it sets warm against cool. Next to wenge cherry looks light and glowing. Next to walnut or mahogany the effect is harmonious but low in contrast, and the difference shrinks over the years (contrast and colour temperature).
Working and finishing it
Cherry veneer cuts cleanly and works well into small pieces. Its fine pores take up little dark sanding dust. Cherry is sensitive to heat: sanding at high speed or with a lot of pressure can easily scorch it.
Oil and hard-wax oil bring out cherry beautifully and deepen its warm tone at once. Under a water-based lacquer it stays lighter at first and then darkens in the light. A sample under the final finish shows how the pairing looks; how it will look in a year it only shows if you leave it in the light that long.
Cherry at Reihax
At Reihax cherry is used in personal pieces made to order. It does not currently appear in the fixed pen holder variants. Like every Reihax piece, it is finished with hard-wax oil in a satin sheen, which deepens its warm tone (personalised wooden objects).
Profile: cherry
- Species: wild cherry (Prunus avium) and American black cherry (Prunus serotina), sold as cherry.
- Colour temperature: warm, reddish brown with a rosy sheen.
- Lightness: medium, between oak and walnut; darkens strongly.
- Pores: diffuse-porous, very fine, a silky surface.
- Movement of the figure: calm to slightly moving; light sapwood at the edge.
- Role in contrast: a warm middle tone that needs a light partner.
- Behaviour as veneer: cuts cleanly; sensitive to heat in sanding.
- Response to finish: oil brings it out strongly; darkens in the light under any finish.
- Use at Reihax: personal pieces made to order.
Further reading
Cherry in relation to other woods, contrast and ageing:
Frequently asked questions
Why does cherry darken so much?
Light and oxygen change substances in the wood. In cherry this effect is especially strong: freshly sanded it is light and rosy brown, after a few months in the light much darker, after years a deep red-brown. The biggest change happens in the first months.
What is the difference between cherry and mahogany?
Both are warm and reddish and both darken. Cherry is diffuse-porous with very fine pores and looks silky and smooth; mahogany has somewhat coarser pores and often a striped figure. Fresh, cherry is usually lighter and rosier; over time the two grow closer in tone.
Can the darkening of cherry be prevented?
Not entirely. A lacquer with UV absorbers slows it down, but no clear finish can stop it. Some workshops leave cherry in the light for a few days before working it or before finishing, so that the first, strongest change is already over and the piece darkens more evenly.
Which woods go well with cherry?
Light woods such as maple or ash, which emphasise the warm tone and carry the contrast. Next to walnut or mahogany cherry looks calm and harmonious but low in contrast, and the difference shrinks as it darkens.