Someone asked us if Cartier Malmaison 'Rosewood' are authentic. Our response:
ALL Cartier Malmaison frames were created with Bubinga wood. Found across equatorial Africa, there are multiple species of the “Guibourtia” genus that are known as Bubinga, so colors and aesthetics can vary dramatically. As we've seen very light woods on some Malmaisons where the seller calls it 'Banana Wood' which is false. Banana tree trunk is literally like paper and rot easily. Bubinga is often nicknamed, “African Rosewood,” which is misleading. 'Rosewood' is a generic umbrella term for a variety of woods in the "Dalbergia" genus, including palisander, kingwood, tulipwood, and many others (so-called because when these woods are cut, they emit a faint scent of roses). Bubinga is not of the Dalbergia species, but again, sellers would write what the customer would search for. Sources: rarewoodsusa.com/vonhuene.com/Cartier catalogs
