Buying Oud wood: What you need to know

The History of Bois de Oud

The oud wood, also called agarwood, aloe wood, eagle wood, calambac, gaharu, as well as by many other names according to the cultures is sometimes called "the wood of the gods" due to its fragrance. , its virtues and its rarity.

It is a piece of wood laden with a fragrant, dark-colored resin that forms in the core of the trunks of certain types of trees most commonly found in the heart of Southeast Asian forests.

This extremely rich and fragrant resin is formed as a result of physical or biological reactions on wood, usually as a result of attack by bacteria causing mold. Used in Asia for several centuries BC, it is mainly used for its medicinal properties as well as for its fragrance and noble appearance, but also in art and religion. Oud wood is marketed in 3 main forms: in its raw form, in powder and in oil.All the secrets of oud woodrevealed on another blog post ...

The virtues of Bois de Oud

Oud wood is recognized for its multiple virtues on the body and is used intraditional chinese medicine for thousands of years. Rich in terpenoids (natural sedative and anxiolytic) as well as polyphenols (natural antioxidant), it is used for religious, artistic and medical purposes for its ability tosoothe the body and mind, but also within the framework ofdiets, ofcures detoxification and somedigestion.

Oud wood is recognized as a valuable ally for health, the beauty and the general well-being (energy balance), the sleeping troubles, the cholesterol, and much more… Psychoactive, it acts positively on psychic and mental functions. 

Calambac in the form ofincense is more commonly used as part of relaxation, while theinfusion has wider and deeper effects and virtues.

The different quality levels of oud wood

The quality level of agarwood is called "grade", and its classification varies depending on its origin. The formation of gaharu is attributed to various factors, such as the species of the tree, the climate, the quality of the soil, the various attacks suffered by the wood and their level, and the time during which the wood will secrete resin in order to to heal. Due to a lack of uniformity in international standards and regulations, assessing the quality of eagle wood remains extremely complex.

Therefore, its assessment depends primarily on the experience and knowledge of members of the industry. For convenience, we have simplified its evaluation into several categories, while from a scientific point of view, there are different categories and sub-categories of quality, or even more… The grade levels of agarwood differ according to the countries of production. :
- Malaysia (6 grade levels - Higher to Lower): "Double super" and "Super", "A", "B", "C" and "D".
- Indonesia (4 grade levels - Higher to Lower) : "Super A", "Super B", "Super C" and "Sabak"
- India (7 grade levels - Higher to Lower) : "Triple Super", "Double Super" and "Super", "A", "B", "C" and "D".
- Vietnam (5 grade levels - Higher to Lower): Grade 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.

Our oud wood products:

All our products in the Oud range are made from pure, untreated, original oud wood100% organic and natural, certified and from agriculture that meets international standards for the oud timber trade (CITES certification: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

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