Conclusion first: what to pay attention to when buying agarwood? Before placing an order, finish asking these ten questions — production region, wild or plantation, how the resin formed, whether it is sinking grade, actual measured weight, whether it can be heated and smelled, whether re-inspection is supported, after-sales policy, source documents, price composition. If even two or three of the ten questions get vague answers, anger, or topic changes, the order should be put on hold. Good sellers are not afraid of questions; sellers afraid of questions — guess why.
Key points
- The ten questions fall into four groups of "goods — verification — accounts — certificates": the goods themselves, how to verify, the price account, and source certificates.
- The purpose of asking is to "hear the reaction": vagueness, rage, and rushing the order are all red lights; patiently breaking things down and welcoming re-inspection is the green light.
- "Sinking grade" and "wild old material" are the two most abused terms and must be verified against physical characteristics.
- Agarwood belongs to CITES Appendix II species; source and compliance explanations are must-ask items for high-value transactions.
- If after all ten questions you still feel uneasy, come to the store for free authentication or call 400-809-1913; the ¥9.9 public-benefit authentication is available long-term.
1. What is the production region?The production region is a fragrance reference for experienced collectors, but marketing talk for beginners — note that currently no institution can issue a production-region authentication. The purpose of asking is not to get a place name, but to see how the other party "uses" the term: those who only name a place without describing fragrance characteristics are mostly reciting a script.
2. Wild or plantation?This is the price watershed. After asking, follow up with "how do you tell them apart" — a seller who dares to explain clearly that "plantation material has a thin fragrance but is legal and compliant, and is sold at plantation prices" is at least honest; anyone who calls plantation material wild and still guarantees it when questioned is out.
3. How did the resin form?Live resin, dead resin, insect-bored, shell, board top... asking about the resin formation method tests professionalism. Those who cannot answer or only use empty phrases like "old material, century-old incense" show that they cannot explain the goods in their own hands.
4. Is it sinking grade?Sinking is a premium factor, not a standard for authenticity — oil-injected material, weighted material, and counterfeit qinan(kyara) can all sink. While asking this, have the seller clarify whether it is "sinking-grade material" or "a bracelet made from sinking-grade material" — these are two different concepts.
5. What is the actual measured weight?For bracelets of the same specification, weight should be viewed together with oil lines and appearance. Asking the seller for the actual measured weight is a reasonable request, and legitimate suppliers will not refuse — those who refuse to provide it and only give "about how many grams" should be noted.
6. Can it be heated and smelled / sampled?For incense sticks, ask for small samples; for essential oils, ask for decanted samples to test the scent; for bracelets, you should be able to see macro shots of the hole openings. Those who only show retouched photos and do not let you smell the actual scent are effectively refusing verification. The shopkeeper's advice:Never place an order for high-value goods based on pictures alone.
7. Do you support third-party re-inspection?This question is a touchstone. Merchants who support 7-day no-reason returns and re-inspection by authoritative institutions have confidence in their goods; those who pull out "no returns once it leaves the counter" and "antique trade rules" to block you—first ask who set their rules. Note one detail: a certificate is only responsible for the sample submitted for testing, so for bulk goods you need "one item, one certificate," or support for you to submit the item for testing yourself after receipt.
8. What is the after-sales policy?This is not to make things hard for the merchant, but a baseline test. The return/exchange period, how color fading and cracking are handled, and how "fragrance inconsistent with the description" is defined—the more detailed the questions, the less wrangling later.
9. How is the price composed?How much is the material cost, how much is the labor fee (especially for carved pieces—be sure to ask), and why is this the price. Merchants who dare to break down the account usually price honestly; those who only talk about "scarcity, symbolism, appreciation" are telling a story, not selling goods. For price judgment, you can refer to the on-site"2026 Agarwood Price Report"range—use the range as a benchmark, not the slogan as a benchmark.
10. Can you provide source and compliance documentation?Agarwood belongs to the Aquilaria genus of the Thymelaeaceae family, and wild populations are listed in CITES Appendix II; cross-border trade requires a permit certificate for customs clearance. For wild material through proper channels, the source can be explained clearly and the documents can be produced. This question can also filter out "three-no" loose goods and "black material" of unknown origin—merchants who dare to lay out the source openly have already screened out half the risk.
The shopkeeper has told the story of incense friend Xiao Chen on multiple occasions. Last autumn, Xiao Chen from Hangzhou spotted a string of "Brunei sinking-grade old material" in a livestream; the host talked about "Brunei royal collection" and "out-of-print fine material from a first-tier production area," showed a yellowed "place-of-origin certificate," original price 38,000, that day's special price 8,800. Xiao Chen thought he had picked up a huge bargain and placed the order. After the goods arrived, someone knowledgeable looked at it under a magnifying glass: the oil lines were crooked and floating on the surface, typical high-pressure oil injection; that "place-of-origin certificate" was just paper out of a printer.
Later, Xiao Chen reviewed it with the shopkeeper, saying he had not been without doubts, but the host had answered three questions on the spot—"Is it wild?" "Does it sink?" "Is there a certificate?"—and he thought that asking meant he had a moat. The shopkeeper told him:What you asked was "what did he answer," not "is his answer correct, and does he dare let you verify it."The real use of the ten questions is to push every answer to the level of "can be verified": if it's wild, they can give the distinguishing logic; if it sinks, it can withstand soaking and weighing; if it has a certificate, the certificate can be checked and the scope matches.
Later, Xiao Chen used this list to repurchase a string of mid-range Singapore material at the store. He said the biggest change was: "The merchant was much more polite to me."—When you ask professionally, sellers don't dare to be casual.
These ten questions are essentially a "merchant filter": goods questions test professionalism, verification questions test confidence, account questions test integrity, certificate questions test compliance. If any one of the four groups collapses, don't do the deal.
The question list can be used together with"Five Common Pitfalls for Beginners"Use both together—one for asking the seller externally, one for checking yourself internally. When it really comes to "I've asked everything and still don't feel sure"—don't force yourself to place an order; come to the store for a free appraisal, or call400-809-1913and let the shopkeeper verify the answer for you.The highest skill in buying agarwood isn't being good at picking goods—it's knowing when to stop.
A seller who thinks you're troublesome most likely can't withstand questioning. Legitimate sellers welcome professional buyers—the more detailed the questions, the more solid the deal. From another angle: you're spending your own money, so asking a few questions shouldn't carry any psychological burden; on the contrary, anyone who uses "troublesome" to suppress you is using talking points to skip past your risk control.
You need to ask three details clearly: which institution does the re-inspection, who pays the fee, and how compensation works if a problem is found. Those who only shout "supports re-inspection" but give no specific path are writing a blank check. Also remember, a certificate is only responsible for the sample submitted, so re-inspection must target the exact piece you received.
Yes, but you can simplify it into four questions: wild or cultivated, can it be heated and smelled, does it support returns and exchanges, and how is the price composed. The lower the budget, the more you need to ask—low-priced fakes (oil-soaked, line-drawn, chemical-incense) are precisely concentrated in entry-level price ranges; those "one-tenth price" fakes in the CCTV investigation target beginners looking for cheap deals.
Explain your specific situation clearly, and we'll give the corresponding judgment and advice—sourcing, personal use, and appraisal are all accepted.
Ask About Agarwood-Related Questions12 years of incense-selection experience compiled into a volume: observe oil lines, smell the fragrance profile, test sinking grade, distinguish producing regions—4 Steps to Judge Agarwood Authenticity Yourself, so even beginners can avoid pitfalls. Sent as soon as you message on WeChat, free forever.
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