COLOR DIVERSITY OF BEECH WOOD WITH A FALSE HEARTWOOD IN THE COLOR SPACE CIE L*a*b*

The color of the false heartwood of Fagus sylvatica L. perceived by the human eye is in a wide range of shades from light brown-yellow to red-brown. The article analyzes the color in the color space CIE L*a*b* of dry wood of the false heartwood type: round, flame, star and marble. The color of the wood was measured with a colorimeter Color reader CR-10. The most colorful is the wood marble with a false heartwood. The results of statistical processing of the measured color values of dry beech wood, marble false heartwood on a planed surface identify it with values on the lightness coordinate L* = 65.2 ± 6.9 and on the chromatic coordinates: red color a* = 13.2 ± 2.3 and yellow b* = 19.2 ± 1.9. The most homogeneous in color is the color of the ring wood of the false heartwood with the coordinate values: L* = 63.7 ± 3.1; a* = 12.6 ± 1.7 and b* = 20.1 ± 1.6. The color diversity of the darkness and yellow-brown-red shades of the wood of the false heartwood is numerically quantified by the values of the total color difference ΔEsx* = 3.9 - 7.5. The presented values of the color of false heartwood beech complement the knowledge about the color of false heartwood and by defining the boundaries of color in the color space CIE L*a*b*, they create space for designers to model the color diversity of compositions and construction-joinery products made of sapwood and false heartwood beech.