Four-Step Agarwood Authentication: Look, Smell, Burn, Sink

1. Look

Natural agarwood has irregular oil veins following the grain; pressed or oil-soaked fakes show uniform, glassy colour blocks.

2. Smell

Real agarwood is subtly sweet-cool at room temperature; fakes smell of harsh synthetic perfume.

3. Burn

A red-hot needle on the hole yields white smoke and lasting sweet aroma for real wood; fakes give black smoke and acrid odour.

4. Sink

High-oil ("sinking") grades sink in water, yet sinking alone is not proof—combine all four steps.