Protecting Yourself from Fake Agarwood
Unfortunately, the popularity of agarwood has led to many fake and low-quality products. Some sellers try to trick buyers with fake agarwood or misrepresent quality. This guide will help you protect yourself.
Why Fakes Exist
Understanding why helps you be more vigilant:
- High Demand: Popularity attracts profit-seekers
- Slow Production: Real agarwood takes 10-30+ years
- High Prices: Profit motive attracts scammers
- Hard to Verify: Beginners cannot easily tell real from fake
Simple Tests You Can Do
The Water Test
Real agarwood with high resin content will sink in water. This is why "sinking chop" is so valuable.
How to Do It
- Get a clear glass of clean water
- Drop a small piece of agarwood in it
- Watch what happens
Results
- Sinks quickly: High resin content (good!)
- Sinks slowly: Medium resin content
- Floats: Low resin content
- Always floats: Likely fake or very low quality
Important notes
- Not all real agarwood sinks
- Some low-density Qi Nan might float
- This test works best for sinking chop quality
- Combine with other tests for best results
The Burn Test
Real agarwood produces a distinctive fragrance when burned. Fake agarwood often smells like burning plastic or has no smell at all.
How to Do It
- Take a very small piece
- Burn it safely (use censer or holder)
- Smell the smoke carefully
- Note the fragrance
Results
- Sweet, woodsy smell: Likely real
- Chemical smell: Likely fake
- Smells like burning plastic: Definitely fake
- No smell: Likely very low quality or fake
The Heat Test
Real agarwood releases natural oils when heated. You might see small droplets form on the surface.
How to Do It
- Heat a piece of agarwood (use heater or hold near flame)
- Watch the surface carefully
- Look for oil droplets
- Feel if surface becomes oily
Results
- Oil droplets appear: Real agarwood
- Just gets hot: Could be low quality
- Bubbles without oil: Suspicious
Professional heat test
Professionals use temperature-controlled heaters at 200-300C to observe oil release patterns. This requires experience.
Warning Signs to Watch For
Red Flags
- Price too good to be true: If price is much lower, it is probably fake
- Vague descriptions: Real sellers know origin and style details
- No smell when cold: Real agarwood has some fragrance even at room temperature
- Perfect, uniform pieces: Real agarwood has natural, irregular shapes
- No return policy: Trusted sellers offer returns
- Pressure tactics: "Buy now or miss out" is a scammer tactic
"If a seller cannot answer basic questions about their product, or refuses to let you return if unsatisfied, walk away."
Complete red flags list
- Seller cannot answer questions about the product
- No photos of the actual product
- Pressure to buy immediately
- Only accepts cryptocurrency or wire transfers
- Website has no contact information
- No reviews or only 5-star reviews
- Recently created website
- Prices that are too low to be possible
Safe Buying Practices
| Do | Do Not |
|---|---|
| Buy from established sellers | Buy from unknown websites |
| Check reviews | Ignoring warning signs |
| Ask questions | Accept "trust me" |
| Start with small orders | Buy large orders unsighted |
| Use secure payment | Use wire transfers |
| Request samples | Skip verification |
If You Get Scammed
If you receive fake agarwood:
- Contact your payment provider immediately
- File a dispute if you paid with credit card
- Report the seller to the platform where you bought
- Leave an honest review to help others
Ready to Learn More?
Now that you know how to identify real agarwood, the final step is learning how to care for it properly.