Microscopic images of wild old agarwood
Currently, the agarwood market is rife with fake agarwood, causing panic among agarwood enthusiasts who fear buying counterfeit products.
However, many agarwood collectors assume that any agarwood that isn't completely black is raw agarwood or white wood agarwood, indicating poor quality...
The choice between price and quality is a real dilemma...
Below are some magnified microscopic photos of wild agarwood prayer beads:
However, many agarwood collectors assume that any agarwood that isn't completely black is raw agarwood or white wood agarwood, indicating poor quality...
The choice between price and quality is a real dilemma...
Below are some magnified microscopic photos of wild agarwood prayer beads:
The structure of old agarwood is not as it appears!
Take a piece of Cambodian old agarwood that appears whiter. Under 50x and 200x magnification, can you see segments of orange-red resin within the white fibers?
This orange-red resin is distributed throughout, completely different from the whiteness of raw agarwood.
Therefore, just because prayer beads or agarwood pieces appear white doesn't mean they lack resin;
it's just that we can't distinguish the fine details with the naked eye.
Because of this, it's easy to artificially darken the resin. Some are polished to deepen their luster,
while others are heated to darken the surface oils.
Many treatments enhance their appearance and quality. However, I prefer to leave the raw wood and beads as they are, allowing those who wish to improve their craft to diligently polish
them until a deeper luster and shine appear. The sense of accomplishment when that happens... well,
I can't describe it! XD
This orange-red resin is distributed throughout, completely different from the whiteness of raw agarwood.
Therefore, just because prayer beads or agarwood pieces appear white doesn't mean they lack resin;
it's just that we can't distinguish the fine details with the naked eye.
Because of this, it's easy to artificially darken the resin. Some are polished to deepen their luster,
while others are heated to darken the surface oils.
Many treatments enhance their appearance and quality. However, I prefer to leave the raw wood and beads as they are, allowing those who wish to improve their craft to diligently polish
them until a deeper luster and shine appear. The sense of accomplishment when that happens... well,
I can't describe it! XD
