Real and fake agarwood, agarwood beads~
Fake agarwood and fake prayer beads are becoming increasingly common. Even when agarwood enthusiasts visit renowned agarwood shops at the World Trade Center, they often find fake agarwood. No wonder agarwood enthusiasts who frequently shop at agarwood stores both domestically and internationally tell me that nine out of ten agarwood items sold are fake. This worries me greatly! Furthermore, there are no genuine samples provided for comparison, resulting in many agarwood enthusiasts being deceived. Besides the previously known fakes such as oil-filled, oil-boiled, smoked, vacuum-sealed, compressed, densely packed, stone-filled, and Vietnamese sand agarwood (including flower-patterned, green, and purple agarwood, Vietnamese agarwood, and Vietnamese red soil agarwood prayer beads... all labeled with these names), and even "dead man agarwood," there are now new fakes made of vines. The main difference lies in the oil lines and the significant difference in the smell after burning. However, the shopkeeper won't let you burn it and smell it before you buy it.
I personally smelled a faint agarwood scent on the surface of this string of prayer beads.
I personally smelled a faint agarwood scent on the surface of this string of prayer beads.
According to a fellow agarwood enthusiast, the shopkeeper clearly stated it was Lao agarwood. Many people bought it at the exhibition that day!
The black agarwood beads on top are Papuan agarwood 4A grade, and the red ones are Jayapura. The ones below are fake agarwood, very similar in appearance to mineralized agarwood. They
also have oil and resin, but the smell when burned is extremely foul. The burning smell lacks the fragrance of genuine agarwood.
Even if the appearance is fake, the aroma won't deceive you.
Vietnamese Hoi An agarwood fake beads.
Vietnamese Hoi An agarwood fake beads.
White agarwood coated with black oil to imitate high-grade oil.
The handcrafting is too obvious. A fellow agarwood
enthusiast provided early Qinan???
enthusiast provided early Qinan???
Olive Qinan???
Holy Blood Qinan???
All of these are rapidly sinking fake beads. Agarwood and Qinan. Too many people try to imitate the numbing and spicy sensations of Qinan (a type of agarwood) by soaking it in Chinese medicine!
There are even more imitations on the market, so similar, 100% realistic, that it's dazzling for beginners and fellow agarwood enthusiasts.
My friends mistakenly buy them because they're cheaper, but they'll probably have to spend money to learn the ropes later.
There are even more imitations on the market, so similar, 100% realistic, that it's dazzling for beginners and fellow agarwood enthusiasts.
My friends mistakenly buy them because they're cheaper, but they'll probably have to spend money to learn the ropes later.
