Rosewood or Ebony

A friend of mine asked me what is the difference between a rosewood fretboard and an ebony fretboard and how to differentiate it.

Well, basically, it is very simple; the look tells everything.

Here's a rosewood

and here is a ebony

Ebony can be identified by its shiny look and smooth feeling. (I told him it looks like dark chocolate when he asked me to further elaborate 'shiny').  Rosewood doesn't shiny look. 

Maple gives you a bright tone, rosewood a darker one and ebony gives you a brighter tone with more sustain.

In terms of durability, many say that ebony is most durable.