About Agarwood Guide
Agarwood Guide is an independent reference resource on agarwood and oud, what it is, where it comes from, how it's graded, and how to tell genuine material from fakes.
Most information available to buyers comes from one of two places. Sellers have an obvious incentive to talk up rarity and authenticity. Academic literature is rigorous, but written for researchers, not buyers. This site was built to sit between the two, sourced like the second and written for the first.
It started from personal interest rather than trade experience. Years of travel through the regions where agarwood is grown, traded, and used culturally led to a lot of questions that sellers' listings and academic papers each answered only part of. This site is an attempt to put the fuller answer in one place.
Why this exists
Agarwood is one of the most counterfeited natural materials in the world, and the information gap around it is part of the problem. A buyer with no way to independently verify a seller's claims about origin, grade, or authenticity is at the seller's mercy. Our guides exist to close that gap, giving buyers, collectors, and the simply curious a place to check claims against something other than the listing they're reading.
How we verify information
Every guide on this site is built the same way.
- Primary sources first. CITES listing documentation, botanical and chemical literature, and established trade and grading terminology take priority over secondhand claims.
- No single-source claims. Where sources disagree, or a fact can't be independently confirmed, we say so rather than presenting one version as settled.
- Marketing claims are not evidence. A seller's description of their own product is treated as a claim to verify, not a fact to repeat.
- Pages get revisited. Agarwood trade regulation, CITES listings, and market terminology change. Guides are updated when the underlying facts change, not left static.
What we're not
Agarwood Guide is not affiliated with any agarwood producer, distributor, auction house, or certification body. We don't sell agarwood or oud.
Our supplier directory is a separate listings resource. Inclusion in the directory is not an endorsement or a quality guarantee. It's a starting point for buyers to do their own diligence, not a substitute for it.
Nothing on this site is appraisal, authentication, or legal advice. For high-value purchases, export or import questions, or formal authentication, consult a qualified professional.
Found something wrong?
If you spot an error, an outdated regulation, or a claim you think we got wrong, tell us. Corrections get reviewed and the guide gets updated.