Agarwood vs so-called "white oud" or buaya agarwood

Mankind has been appreciating the use of this ancient product: Agarwood in many of its forms from traditional rituals, spiritual values, to medicines, cosmetic and fragrances. As per its high price, on average genuine superior grade cultivated oil is circa $12,000 USD per litre if you bought from plantation, the word "agarwood oil", "agarwood" beads or "agarwood incenses" have been used incorrectly or in short, it was used to name some different type of wood which may have a similar look to "agarwood". The most common one was Aetoxcylon Sympetalum, known as Gaharu Buaya (Crocodile Agarwood which is not really agarwood).

Generally speaking, there is no annual ring on Aquilaria species with a few wild exception. As agarwood is created around the area of Aquilaria tree attacked by boring insect, its infection area (agarwood) will be randomly distributed instead of evenly. For more info on how to identify agarwood chips, please visit here.

(Genuine Cultivated Agarwood logs)

Buaya agarwood (Aetoxcylon Sympetalum) is much solid and heavier than genuine agarwood (Aquilaria species), the oil extracted from this type of wood are generally white, hence it is also known as "white oud" .

The distilling material for this "white oud" buaya (Aetoxcylon Sympetalum) is less than $50 per kg compared to several hundreds even thousands per kg hence the unscrupulous attempt. Please do not get me wrong, if the seller discloses this is Aetoxcylon Sympetalum , "Buaya agarwood" and his price reflects that, he is a good and honest seller. There is nothing wrong with this oil. In fact, we have many customers love it. I would like to make it clear for you: this white oud is NOT distilled from agarwood.
Buaya beads are solid and extremely durable the scent is also quite pleasant (less complex, muddy, woody mainly compared to agarwood). Check out the below

As Buaya (aetoxcylon) wood is very solid, the carving is rather easier than agarwood which is a much softer wood. Buyer with no experience, will be told that the darker wood on the left are highly resinous agarwood and ultimately pay a much higher price. As we are in this industry, the left one (young immature but genuine agarwood with a small infection) is actually more expensive than the right. However, as buyer perception, darker colour means better quality which in fact right in "apple to apple comparison" (same type of wood) , he / she will easily be dubbed or conned.

Overall, there is nothing wrong with this specie at all. It is just the confusion of the name and its price was inflated to con un-informed buyers. 

The colour of genuine agarwood oil varies from green , golden, to brown and black. In some special occasion, it is blue.

Below a few colour of our oil collection, you have probably seen it , regardless we would like to show it again anyway

Green colour, it was the Wild Green Merauke Oil. SOLD OUT !!!!

If you are a cosmetic manufacturers or a commercial perfume producers, please ask your suppliers to provide a laboratory test, to look for the below component.

Please also note, in 100 ml perfume or skin-care product, you only need 1ml to 3 ml of our essential oil. With 100% pure quality, the strength of oud oil is more than enough to make your customer feel it.

(Source: Nurlaila Ismaila 2013)

Below are our own Culivated Superior Evergreen's lab test result in Australia contains all of the chemical of high grade oil should have, our result contains all of the above (more than 80 individual compounds), specially the most two important components: 

1. β-agarofuran
2. Sesquiterpenes

If you would like the full laboratory test result, please email us your request at info@grandawood.com.au