IMHO the most important part of making dymondwood pretty is to do something to take break up the grain. A few contrasting colors of phenolic lines running through the handle in the right places, or one of those pine cones or oak leaves carved into the handle like Dean's. Even the checkered grip does alot to distract the eye.
When they are a solid riser piece or not broken up enough I just think they look generic though. They all have the grain in the same places and it has a mickey mouse kind of feel to it. Too manufactured looking. Like the fake New York in Las Vegas. Don't take me the wrong way, to each their own. Plenty people think bubinga is as generic as it gets and I think it's very pretty wood.
tenbrook. I like you am partial to the rosewood. I think mixed with black you'll have a very pretty bow. I was looking at Morrisons site and he picked most of the best looking drymondwood samples. Dymondwood selections are famous for looking gaudy but he picked out all the best ones. He makes a very pretty bow.
I'll never guess why the makers of dymondwood make so many gaudy colors. Pinks, and greens and purples. I don't know what they do with that stuff besides bow risers, but the majority of it must be marketed to preteen girls. Only a handful of their selections out of the entire catalog are relatively natural wood colors.