Appraisal is not mysticism. Understand these three things clearly, and you'll have confidence in the material in your hands.
The oil lines of genuine agarwood follow the wood grain and are distributed naturally, with soft, irregular transitions between light and dark. Oil lines created by artificial oil soaking or drawn lines tend to be overly uniform, with harsh boundaries. Looking at the grain by hand is the first step.
At room temperature, agarwood has a faint scent that becomes more obvious after rubbing it warm. Good agarwood smells clean, with a cool, sweet, or floral-honey note, and is neither pungent nor sour. If it hits you with a sharp synthetic-fragrance smell as soon as you get close, be on your guard.
Agarwood with a high oil content feels heavier in the hand, but sinking is affected by moisture content and shape and is not the sole basis for judging authenticity. Weight should be assessed together with oil lines and scent; looking at just one factor easily leads to misjudgment.
The core of appraisal is not to hand down a verdict, but to help you build your own frame of reference for judgment.
We set up the ¥9.9 public-benefit appraisal to let more newcomers have someone take a look at a low cost, so they pay less tuition. It is not a precondition for buying or selling—just an entry point that gives you more peace of mind.
Tell us your specific situation clearly, and we'll give the corresponding judgment and advice—sourcing, personal use, and appraisal are all accepted.
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