**Build a gaharu QC and grading SOP around four measurable checks — resin content, wood density (sinking test), aroma profile, and moisture — logged for every batch with photos and lot numbers. Standardize grade names against a published band, document legal origin, and let a second grader verify before any lot ships.**
That discipline turns loose sacks of wood into gradeable, priceable, exportable inventory. One Aquilaria tree can yield gubal (high-resin heartwood), kemedangan (lighter medium wood), and near-worthless abu (dust) in the same haul, and the price gap between them is brutal. A repeatable SOP is what keeps a good grader and a tired grader arriving at the same label.
Why does gaharu need a written grading SOP?
Because the money follows the grade, not the kilo. Silvikultur UGM figures from October 2016 put gaharu double super at Rp 30-40 million/kg and super tanggung at Rp 15-30 million/kg, while kemedangan sits at Rp 2-5 million/kg and abu/bubuk at just Rp 20,000-50,000/kg. Mis-grade one sack and you can erase a month of margin.
Export buyers price even more steeply. The July 2025 grade list published by zonakeren.com quoted Double King at USD 54,688/kg and Super King at USD 42,969/kg, sliding down to Sabak Air at USD 626/kg and Medang C at USD 47/kg. Our own indicative brand band for plantation gaharu chips is USD 500-7,000/kg grade-dependent, with oud/agarwood oil at USD 30,000-80,000/kg (as of 2026, indicative; a final quote confirms grade and scope). With the global agarwood and oud market projected around USD 23.47 billion by 2033, that pricing curve only gets steeper. A written SOP is the only way to place a lot correctly on it every time. The same discipline is what buyers look for when they vet a trusted gaharu supplier before wiring a deposit.
What are the four core QC checks?
Every batch should pass the same four measurable tests, in the same order, recorded on the same form. Skipping steps or reordering them is how inconsistency creeps in.
| Check | Local term | Tool / method | What “good” looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resin content | getah / gubal | Cut a clean cross-section, inspect and weigh | Dense dark resin veins; more black resin means a higher grade |
| Density / sinking | tenggelam | Drop a clean, dry piece into fresh water | Sinking wood grades highest; partial floaters drop a tier |
| Aroma | aroma / wangi | Cold sniff, then brief heat on foil or a burner | Deep, sweet, long-lasting smoke with no musty or sour note |
| Moisture | kadar air | Pin-type moisture meter or oven-dry a sample | A stable target, commonly around 10-12%, batch to batch |
Resin and sinking move price the hardest. Good black resin (getah) can reach Rp 15-20 million/kg and, per the same 2016 UGM data, up to about USD 10,000/kg at end-user level, while low-grade yellow resin sits at only Rp 2-5 million/kg. Aroma breaks ties between two visually similar pieces, and moisture protects weight honesty so you are not selling water or shipping mold.
How do you turn checks into grade tiers?
Map your four readings onto a fixed tier table so two graders reach the same label. Publish the tier names to buyers up front so nobody argues definitions mid-deal. The resin-based scale reported by tokolantaikayu.net in May 2025 is a workable public anchor.
| Tier | Resin / sinking | Indicative band (2025-2026, subject to change) |
|---|---|---|
| Super Kynam/Kyara (whole gubal) | Fully saturated, sinks fast | Rp 1-1.5 billion/kg |
| Grade A | Heavy resin, sinks | Rp 50-100 million/kg |
| Grade B | Moderate resin, semi-sinking | Rp 10-50 million/kg |
| Grade C | Light resin, tends to float | Rp 500,000-10 million/kg |
| Abu (dust and offcuts) | Minimal resin | Rp 200,000-2 million/kg |
Whatever tier names you adopt, freeze them in the SOP with a reference photo per tier. A grade only builds trust when the same piece earns the same label on Monday and on Friday.
What documents make a grade buyer-trusted?
A grade is only as credible as its paperwork. Aquilaria spp. is listed on CITES Appendix II, so legal export requires proving legal origin — cultivated versus wild — through KLHK, a BKSDA (Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam) recommendation for wild sources, ASGARIN membership, and a CITES export permit valid up to about six months. CITES processing can take up to about 60 days for some destinations.
Your grading file should therefore carry, per lot: a unique lot number, origin and plantation records, the four QC readings with photos, the assigned tier, grader initials, and the legal-origin references above. Bali functions as a trade and consolidation hub, not a documented production origin, so the paperwork must trace back to real source regions such as Kalimantan, Papua, Ambon, or Sumbawa. This site is a sourcing broker and information hub, not a permit authority — confirm current requirements with the CITES Management Authority (Indonesia) and your import country before you commit to any shipment.
How do you run the grading room day to day?
Turn the checks into a fixed floor routine so nothing depends on memory:
- Intake: weigh the incoming lot, assign a lot number, photograph it sealed and open.
- Clean and cut: remove soft non-resinous wood, cut cross-sections for inspection.
- Run the four checks in order: resin, sinking, aroma, moisture — write each reading down.
- Assign a tier against the frozen tier table and reference photos.
- Second-grader verify: a different person re-checks resin and sinking before sign-off.
- Log and seal: record everything in the batch sheet, bag by tier, label with the lot number.
Keep calibration honest. Use fresh water for every sinking test, re-check the moisture meter weekly, and cross-grade a known reference piece each morning so drift is caught early.
What mistakes break buyer trust?
Three failures show up again and again: renaming tiers between shipments so buyers cannot compare lots, grading on aroma alone while ignoring the sinking test, and mixing high and low resin pieces inside one bag to lift the average. Each one gets discovered on the buyer’s bench, and each one costs the relationship. A tight SOP, a second grader, and honest lot photos are cheaper than one rejected container.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many graders should double-check a gaharu lot before it ships?
At least two. One grader runs the four checks and assigns a tier; a second, independent grader re-verifies resin and the sinking test before sign-off. Two-person verification catches drift and fatigue errors, and it gives buyers a documented control they can trust. For high-value lots above Grade B, add a supervisor spot-check on a random sample.
Can the water sinking test alone determine gaharu grade?
No. Sinking (tenggelam) is a strong signal of resin density, but it cannot separate two sinking pieces of different aroma or resin colour, and it says nothing about moisture. Use it as one of four checks alongside resin inspection, aroma, and moisture. Grading on the float test alone is one of the most common trust-breaking shortcuts buyers reject.
What moisture level should graded gaharu be dried to before export?
Aim for a stable, consistent target — commonly around 10-12% — rather than chasing bone-dry wood, which can dull aroma. Consistency batch to batch matters more than any single number. Record the reading per lot with a pin-type meter, re-calibrate the meter weekly, and note the target in your SOP so every shipment is measured the same way.