Curly Koa is the most sought after as the wavy grain highlights Koa’s iridescence. It is recognized world wide for it’s remarkable variety of grain figure which ranges from a reddish color to dark brown, often with a golden luster and darker streaks. The grain is interlocked, which often causes the curly figure. 

Select Koa has the same iridescent quality and still has splashes of curly but not as much as my curly grade. Koa Lumber is generally priced by quality and amount of the curl in the wood grain. This, as well as the amount available of said type has a direct impact on the price of the lumber material. 

Mango has a lot of the same qualities as Koa but is lighter in color and is not quite as dense. It does have a curly grain that sometimes rivals some of the nicest Curly Koa. Though an introduced species it is one of the nicest furniture woods grown locally, second only to Koa.