There are many claims about the authenticity of agarwood on the market; some are widely circulated but unreliable. Here we pick a few of the most common misconceptions to help you see where the problem lies.
Many people think that the darker the agarwood and the heavier the piece, the more valuable it is. In fact, the quality of agarwood is not necessarily related to the depth of color; the key factors are the production region, the way the resin forms, and the distribution of the oil. Some dark colors are the result of later treatment, and the weight may also come from moisture or fillers. Judgment should be based on a comprehensive view of aroma, oil lines, and texture, not on a single indicator.
A test certificate can indicate certain physical or microscopic features of a sample, but you need to pay attention to whether the sample corresponding to the certificate is the same piece you hold, whether the testing institution is authoritative, and whether the test items cover the key indicators. A certificate is supplementary, not a free pass from inspection. For high-priced pieces, it is advisable to cross-verify through multiple channels.
On the other hand, some people believe that cheap must be fake. In reality, among natural agarwood there are also cost-effective choices, such as floating-grade pieces or material with a shorter resin-forming period: affordable in price but genuine in aroma. Treating “cheap = fake” as an iron rule will instead make you miss suitable entry-level pieces. The key is still to look at the actual item and smell the aroma.
“One trick to tell real from fake” in short videos looks satisfying, but when applied to actual items it is often insufficient. Agarwood counterfeiting methods are upgrading, and it is hard to draw a conclusion from a single picture or a short video. When unsure, the safest approach is to find an experienced physical store for an in-person authentication.
Explain your specific situation clearly, and we will give corresponding judgments and suggestions—sourcing, personal use, and authentication are all accepted.
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