Agarwood Sales

In recognition that the available supply of natural agarwood is or will be exhausted in the wild within the next decade, AgarwoodSales have developed a co-operative of three hundred farmers within Thailand.

Who are AgarwoodSales?

AgarwoodSales was developed to meet ongoing international demand for all agarwood products and to research and develop new products at affordable prices. In recognition that the available supply of natural agarwood is or will be exhausted in the wild within the next decade, AgarwoodSales have developed a co-operative of three hundred farmers within Thailand.

All with plantations of primarily Aquilaria Crassana ranging from 100-4000 trees planted between two and twenty five years of age, many are now at various stages of inoculation to encourage Incense Formation. Harvested and carved in local communities, the co-operative offers the farmers and poor rural areas a means of employment and much needed income and by ensuring they are not exploited, an ethical relationship is fostered for the benefit of all involved in the process.

Agarwood has been harvested and used over millennia and AgarwoodSales supply the full range of agarwood products including oils, woodchips and powder. In addition, AgarwoodSales has been investigating in new extraction techniques that protect the unique fragrance of agarwood and are now bringing to market a new product – Agarwood Resin – providing a high quality product at an affordable price, pre-packaged for immediate use.

What is Agarwood?

Agarwood is the resinous, fragrant and highly valuable heartwood formed inside a specific species of the Aquilaria tree as a result of infection with the parasitic fungus or mould Phialophora Parasitica. Normally created as a result of injury caused by natural forces such as lightning, wind damage or wood boring insects, it can also be formed with human intervention.

Prior to infection, the wood does not bear any scent but when wounded and infected the tree produces a resin to seal in the fungal growth and prevent it spreading. The process by which the resin and wood fibres integrate and transform into the aromatic resinous agarwood is known as ‘incense formation’ or ‘agarwood formation’.

The resin embedded hardwood is known by a variety of names: in Chinese it is ‘chenxiang’, ‘chenshuixiang’ and ‘shuichenxiang’ (sinking fragrant wood); in Sanskrit ‘aguru’; in Arabic ‘oud’; in Indonesian ‘gaharu’ and in western cultures it is more commonly called ‘aloes’, ‘aloeswood’ or ‘agarwood’.

Agarwood also enjoys the title ‘King of Incenses’. Regarded as the most precious kind of wood in the world, it is indeed an extremely rare natural resource. In the natural environment only a small percentage of agarwood trees produce agarwood. Hence, agarwood is rare, highly prized and commands an exceptionally high premium because of its distinctive fragrance and medicinal benefits. The rich and elegant aroma of agarwood mainly derives from aloewood oil or agarwood resin.

Current botanical understanding shows four families of trees capable of producing agarwood, namely Thymelaeaceae, Burseraceae, Lauraceae and Euphorbiaceae. The majority of trees that produce agarwood belong to the genus Aquilaria, in the family Thymelaeaceae. These are indigenous species common only to south east Asia, mainly in regions in South China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, India and Indonesia. The trees require a tropical climate and grow best on medium quality soils between 500-1000m above sea level.

Over many years, Aquilaria trees in the wild have been harvested nearly to the point of extinction and it has therefore been classified as a threatened species of plant. This has been recognised by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and requires official certification for the wood to be traded legally.

In order to meet ongoing demand and the decreasing availability of the wood in the wild, groups and individuals have responded by growing plantations of Aquilaria.

This is supported by biological research into the circumstances that create the conditions that cause the tree to enter into the state of incense formation. Laboratory testing of both natural and artificial resinous agarwood proves there is no difference in the chemical composition of the resin – the same superior result is achieved whether occurring naturally in the wild or by means of human intervention.

International trade in agarwood involves wood, wood chips, powder and oil. The trade in agarwood chips alone is estimated at six million kilograms per year with the value of agarwood re-exported each year merely from Singapore estimated to exceed US$1.2 billion. Global trade is estimated to be US$6-8 billion.

The main countries importing agarwood are China, the UAE, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and Japan. With the spread of multicultural societies across Europe and North America, it is the objective of AgarwoodSales to make the commodity more easily available to all who wish to explore its magical fragrance.

Practicing sustainable as well as organic harvesting methods, the extractions and plantations centers are providing means of livelihood for honest families and also ensuring that these beautiful trees remain around for many years to come.

Types and Grades of Agarwood and Agarwood Products

Agarwood is the resinous, fragrant and highly valuable heartwood formed inside a specific species of the Aquilaria tree comprising a high number of non-hazardous hydrocarbons that emit faintly different odors when heated. These hydrocarbons are believed to have medicinal and other benefits to well being.

In its purest form agarwood is ‘carved from the tree’ during harvesting and the wood is then grouped into four main categories depending upon the resin concentration. It is the concentration of this resin that is used to determine the quality of the raw product. These four main categories are:

· Super Grade – considered as wood that has 40%+ resin by weight.
· A Grade – any wood that has 30-40% resin by weight.
· B Grade – any wood that has 20-30% resin by weight.
· C Grade – any wood that has 10-20% resin by weight.

In its most concentrated Super Grade form the resin laid down in the natural process of incense formation will completely enclose the damaged area of the tree, saturating the cells with resin. This natural process takes considerable time and produces what is regarded as the highest grade wood available. Agarwood of this type is denser than water and is called ‘sinking agarwood’. It is important that agarwood (especially Super Grade) is always purchased from a reputable source such as AgarwoodSales.

In sustainable production, agarwood ‘carved from the tree’ produces small chips which can be heated in charcoal or electric incense burners. During this process the wood will deliver three levels of fragrance as it heats and burns the oils within the wood. Starting with the light compound emissions, moving through the medium and finally onto the heavy hydrocarbons which produce the most intense aroma.

Agarwood chips may also be ground into a fine powder. The powder can then be heated in the same manner as agarwood chips or added to drinks or food for perceived medicinal benefits.

Agarwood oil is a highly sought after commodity and is used both in its natural form as a perfume in its own right or as a base oil for high end perfumes. The long lasting effects of the oil make it extremely popular with high quality perfume houses who seek to incorporate it into their fragrances. Just as there are many grades of agarwood, the same can be said for the essential oil distilled from the wood. AgarwoodSales can supply agar oil of excellent quality from trees that have been cultivated within the co-operative – not from wild or endangered trees and at an affordable price.

Agar resin is a product made by AgarwoodSales using a process similar to oil extraction. The resulting substance is then remixed with high grade agarwood powder to form a malleable resin which is then formed into convenient sized tablets. These tablets are the ideal size for a normal ‘burn’ as their optimum size facilitates the handling and frequency of use. These tablets are extremely popular for group meditation, religious ceremonies and domestic use, as they emit a magical aroma capable of filling a room for hours. As a development on the resin theme, AgarwoodSales have also created a product combining agarwood resin with a hint of frankincense, providing an alternative and uniquely rich fragrance.

Other known uses of agarwood are agarwood tea made from the leaves of the Aquilaria tree. With claims of numerous medicinal benefits, this is a safe product for human consumption and should only be purchased from reputable companies such as AgarwoodSales.

Agarwood Uses

Agarwood is produced from the Aquilaria tree and is obtained through the extraction of a resinous hardwood embedded deep in the trunk. This agarwood is a consequence of the naturally occurring process of a fungus being introduced through fissures in the tree.

The tree combats this by producing an aromatic resin or hardwood, which acts as a healing agent and, once harvested, the resinous wood is processed into the many fragrant products available. The tree does not die after harvesting – it yields up its precious secret then quietly regenerates through selective coppicing, starting the whole wonderful process all over again.

The agarwood is burnt in its natural state as wood chips or powder to emit a highly fragrant aroma. Alternatively the resinous wood can be distilled to produce oil. Oil from the agarwood tree is worth far more than gold, making it a 21st century object of desire worldwide.

End users of these products range from perfumers and incense makers through to discerning individuals who wish to provide a luxurious, fragrant enhancement to their homes. The agarwood aroma induces a sense of well-being and is frequently used by those who practice meditation as the gentle, calming experience gained from the fragrance serves as an aid to refresh the mind, body and spirit.

Mankind has known and loved this heavenly perfume since ancient times. The exquisite aroma is released through burning the agarwood and is found in a myriad of religious ceremonies within many cultures throughout the world. The wood is often carved into beautiful sculptures or made into prayer beads and jewellery, serving as a further aid to meditation.

Used by medical practitioners since ancient times, its application in the modern day extends too many traditional medicines such as aiding the treatment of asthma, hypertension or as a stress reliever. It is also widely believed to assist with weight loss when taken in the form of a tea and although many users believe this to be the case there is, as yet, no scientific proof to support the claim.

Agarwood has uses which are multiple and varied, setting it apart as a tree with uses that are sacred, curative and secular. It has traditional applications so valued that the resinous heartwood of the tree is one of the worlds most sought after commodities. With increasing demand for agarwood comes the problem of supply.

Virtually extinct in the wild it is one of the world’s most expensive woods and has been named an endangered species by CITIES. Fortunately, the agarwood tree is happy to be cultivated in plantations where the process of resin generation is assisted by the introduction of the fungi through labour-intensive drilling followed by the introduction of the mould.

We supply the full range of agarwood products including woodchips, powder and oil and the company has recently identified an extraction technique to produce an aromatic resin that maintains the unique fragrance of agarwood. This new product is used in an identical way to woodchips and powder but it is in a more concentrated form, which burns longer and more intensely.

Agarwood is truly the ‘scent of the gods’ – the aroma is one of pure luxury and we urge you to experience this unique and very precious fragrance which has been used since the beginning of time.