Key points for identifying agarwood carvings and pendants

Key points

• Three types of fake material: dyed miscellaneous wood, oil-soaked/injected oil, high-pressure compressed—verify with four methods: cross-section, holes, water soaking, and burning.
• Four types of fake craftsmanship: glue patching, splicing, painted lines to cover flaws, oil coating to enhance brightness—focus on the back, bottom, and inner walls of the carving, places where 'aging cannot be faked'.
• To smell a carving, 'find a sample': scrape a little debris or drill wood shavings and burn them for smelling; this is more reliable than smelling the large piece directly.
• Labor cost is the major part of a carving's price: good labor often accounts for half the finished price. Ask clearly about the 'material price + labor cost' composition before judging whether the total price is reasonable.
• Carvings fall under the category of products of CITES Appendix II species; pay attention to compliance for collection and cross-border circulation; if unsure, get free authentication at the store or call 400-809-1913.

1. First verify the material: the 'foundation' of the carving

No matter how good the carving is, if the material is fake, everything is off the table. There are mainly three types of fake material in carvings:

Dyed miscellaneous wood carvings.Ordinary hardwoods are carved, dyed, and artificially aged to pass off as agarwood. Mostly seen in low-priced tourist souvenir markets; the whole piece is jet black, without natural grain, and the carving marks are 'too clean'.

Oil-soaked and oil-injected carvings.White wood or low-oil material is injected with oil paste under high pressure, resulting in a glossy, oily appearance and strong aroma. This type of material is easy to recognize on carvings—The oiliness of natural agarwood is 'from inside out', while the gloss of oil-soaked material 'floats on the surface', especially in the recesses and grooves of the carving, where floating oil accumulates into black oil grime.

Compressed carvings.High-pressure compressed material (jokingly called 'pangdahai' in the industry) carved into hand pieces and ornaments has abnormal density and swells when soaked in water. People's Daily Online reported in 2018: this material usually appears as wood blocks or hand pieces, rarely made into beads, because the raw material is basically indistinguishable except by burning—carvings give it the best disguise.

Four methods to verify material:

1. Check cross-sections and holes: Carvings mostly have no drilled holes, so look at cross-sections, wormholes, and deep cracks that the carving cannot cover—oil lines here 'cannot be painted'.
2. Weigh in hand: Comparing same volume, compressed material is dead heavy and sounds dull.
3. Soak the edge scraps: Carvings usually have inconspicuous edges/corners or rough areas on the back. Take a tiny amount of scraps and soak them in water; observe swelling, color bleeding, and oil floating.
4. Scrape scraps and burn on a heater: Scrape or drill a little of the scraps and heat them to smell the true scent—this is the most reliable way to judge a carving by smell. Natural-material scraps still show layers on the heater; oil-soaked material leaves only a chemical sweetness.

2. Then examine the workmanship: four kinds of 'makeup' for flaws

If the material is genuine, you still need to examine the workmanship. The four most common types of 'workmanship fakes' in carvings:

Glue filling.If the material has cracks or holes, fill them with glue mixed with agarwood powder or color powder, then carve in a shape to cover it. The gloss and texture of the glue-filled areas differ from the wood; when held against the light, there will be slightly 'plastic-like' bright spots.

Splicing.Small pieces are joined into a larger piece, with seams hidden in the carved patterns. Look for places where 'the grain is interrupted': natural objects are not perfectly symmetrical. If a branch or a leaf vein suddenly 'breaks' at a certain plane, trace along it and check.

Drawing lines to conceal flaws.Artificially draw oil lines in light-colored areas or white-film areas to 'perk it up'. Natural oil lines vary in depth and show penetration; drawn lines are uniform and stiff, and may blur when wiped with a damp cloth.

Oil coating to enhance shine.Apply oil or wax to the surface to make the carving 'sleek and shiny', covering a dry base. This kind of shine is 'fake-bright' and unnatural; the luster of good natural material is warm, moist, and restrained.

3. Six steps for handling an agarwood carving

Combine the above two layers into one process. When you get a carving, follow this order:

1. Look it over all around: From a distance, observe the shape and spirit; up close, check whether the grain is continuous and whether there are color-difference breaks.
2. Turn it over to the bottom: The bottom, back, and inner walls are places where 'aging cannot be faked', and also where glue filling and splicing are most often hidden.
3. Shine strong light into the crevices: Sweep side light across the boundaries between carved grooves and flat surfaces to check for differences in reflection from glue lines.
4. Weigh and listen: Tap lightly with a knuckle; if the sound is dull and dead, question the density.
5. Scrape scraps and smell three times: smell it raw, warm it in your hands and smell it, or heat shavings on a burner — what you smell is the wood's true nature, not the layer of oil on the surface.
6. Ask about the composition: how much the material costs, how much the labor costs, who did the work, and whether it can be re-inspected — merchants who dare to break it all down usually don't have bad goods.

4. Labor and Price: How the Accounting for Carvings Works

Carvings are different from bead bracelets — in the price, "labor" takes the lion's share. Cutting a piece of material into beads is "preserving material"; carving it into an ornament is "wasting material" — the more removed, the higher the material's share of the price. The industry-standard method is to split it into two accounts:

• Material cost: calculated by gram weight and quality, aligned with raw material market rates;
• Labor cost: calculated by work hours and the craftsman, with master craftsman work and fine workmanship often accounting for half the finished price.

So when buying a carving, ask two questions:"How heavy is this piece of material, and what's its quality?" and "How much is the labor cost, and can we negotiate?"Anyone who only tells you "agarwood carvings have good symbolism and appreciate fast" without breaking down the accounts for you is most likely padding things on both the "labor" and "material" ends. For the collectible aspect of carvings, you can check the English site'sAgarwood Carving and Collectiblesfor an extra perspective, but the shopkeeper's principle stays the same:first verify authenticity, then talk about collecting.

5. An Example of an In-Store Authentication

This spring, incense friend Mr. Ping brought in a "agarwood lotus-leaf brush washer," saying he'd bought it on the spot at a "workshop" while traveling in the south — the boss "opened the material" right in front of him — for 38,000. The shopkeeper followed the process: first look at the grain — the veins on the lotus stem suddenly broke mid-way, and running a finger along the grain, the fingertip could feel an extremely faint seam; under a strong light, the reflection at the seam differed from its surroundings. Then look at the base — on the inside bottom of the brush washer there was a small patch noticeably lighter in color, as if it had been repaired. The most crucial step was taking a shaving: scraping a bit of debris from an inconspicuous spot on the base and putting it on the burner, the aroma was a single note of sweetness, lacking the clear, elegant coolness that a scholar's item like a lotus-leaf brush washer should have, and the base note was dull.

The shopkeeper's conclusion:spliced + glue-filled + surface-soaked in oil; the main material is probably still low-oil material.Mr. Ping didn't believe "opening the material on the spot could still be fake," so the shopkeeper walked him through it: what was opened in front of you was the "material head," while the splicing happened behind the curtain; with glue filling and carving to follow the shape, an layperson simply can't tell. Mr. Ping later asked someone to go back to that workshop, and sure enough it had "transferred." He told the shopkeeper: "What I bought wasn't just a fake — it was a play performed for me alone."

This incident gives the shopkeeper a reminder he repeats every time:Carvings have the most "acting" of all — the on-site material opening is acting, the master's signature is acting, and the heritage story is acting too.There are no shortcuts in identifying carvings; it's just checking every place "the workmanship wouldn't think of."

The Shopkeeper's Words

Agarwood carvings are a conspiracy of material and labor: in a good carving, the material supports the labor, the labor conceals the flaws, but the person cannot hide the fake. The core principle of authentication is just one line —Use the "logic of craft" to investigate the "truth of the material": Carving can cover the flat surface, but not the cross-section; it can brighten the surface, but not the original scent.

If you're unsure about a carved piece or pendant, bring it to the store and the shopkeeper will walk you through the six steps in person; if you can't come, call400-809-1913Sending a sample is also fine. In-store appraisal is free, and the ¥9.9 public-benefit appraisal is available long-term——Don't let a carved piece from the "stage" onto your household altar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it fake if an agarwood pendant's scent fades after being worn for a long time?

Not necessarily. When a pendant is worn against the skin, body heat and friction accelerate the release of surface aroma, and sweat and chemicals can also "smother" the fragrance; a natural pendant left to rest away from odors will usually recover part of it. But if the fading comes with the surface "turning white," color loss, or a dull smell that won't dissipate, you should suspect an oil-soaked, painted-line material—once the surface oil paste evaporates, the true nature is exposed.

Does a carved piece being spliced necessarily mean you can't buy it?

It depends. Large pieces are scarce, so shaped carving and small-piece splicing are common in the industry; the key is whether the seller discloses it truthfully. A truthfully disclosed spliced piece is priced as a spliced piece and can be bought; hiding the splice in the pattern and selling it as a whole piece is fraud. The difference is not in craftsmanship, but in honesty.

Do agarwood carvings have collectible value?

There are carvings of genuine material and good workmanship, but the shopkeeper advises you not to chase "appreciation." Agarwood carvings have poor liquidity and subjective pricing; the industry consensus is to first check authenticity, then workmanship, and finally personal affinity. Taking on the story of "master craftsmanship, heirloom material" for investment is the typical standing-guard posture described in article B1.

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