Agarwood is no shallow water—beginners are most easily led astray by sales talk. The five misconceptions below—step into any one and you may pay tuition.
Color is affected by production region and the way the resin forms; oil-injected material can also be made very black. Judge comprehensively by combining oil lines and aroma—black does not equal good.
The aroma of natural agarwood isunderstated, while a strong, pungent scent usually means additives. If it smells harsh or cloyingly sweet after a while, be all the more wary.
Use determines grade. For daily wear and getting started with incense ceremony, floating grade offers better value. Paying a premium for the "sinking grade" label is often not worth it.
Pictures can be retouched. For high-value goods, rely onin-person inspection, or get a sample to compare first—don't order based on pictures.
Agarwood has high costs from resin formation to harvesting; an abnormally low price usually corresponds to abnormal quality. A bargain-hunting mindset is the easiest way to get stuck with a bad deal.
Shopkeeper's summary:Learn to tell before you buy; if unsure, get a sample first.These two lines can block most pitfalls.
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