World’s most expensive wood; 10 grams costs more than 1 kg gold, its found in…, name is…
Wyatt Mason 
Kynam wood, or Agarwood, costs $10,000 (more than Rs 8.50 lakh) per gram, while 10 grams cost around Rs 85 lakh, making it one of the most expensive materials on Earth.
Gold is the priciest rare-earth metal on the planet and forms the backbone of the global economy. But did you know there is a special and rare type of wood that costs a whopping 100 times more than gold? Yes, we are talking about Kynam wood, famed for its unique, enchanting fragrance, it is the rarest wood found on earth.
Lets us find out more about this ‘wood of the gods’.
How expensive is Kynam wood and where is it found?
As per a report by Al Jazeera, the Kynam wood costs $10,000 (more than Rs 8.50 lakh) per gram, while 10 grams cost around Rs 85 lakh, making it one of the most expensive materials on Earth.
Kynam is derived from Agarwood trees, which are mainly found in the forests of Southeast Asia, including China, Japan, India, and parts of the Middle East. In India, the extremely rare Kaynam trees are found in Assam, which has earned it title of India’s agarwood capital.
A few years ago, 2 kg of Kynam wood was reportedly sold for Rs 154 crore in Shanghai. A man named Mahfe stumbled upon 16 kg of Kynam wood, which was over 600 years old, and reportedly sold it for Rs 171 crore, Al Jazeera reported.
Shanghai for Rs 154 crore, i.e. the price of 1 kg was Rs 77 crore. A person named Mahfe found 600-year-old 16 kg Kaynam wood, which was sold for Rs 171 crore.
What makes Kynam wood so expensive?
Agarwood produces a special type of resin with a unique, pleasant fragrance, which is used to make incense, perfumes, and Oud Oil. The resin is produced when the tree suffers from a fungal infection, specifically a type of Phaeoacremonium mold, P. parasitica, which causes the it to produce resin as a defense mechanism.
This resin, prized for its distinctive scent and used in incense, perfume, and traditional medicine, slowly transforms the wood of the tree into precious agarwood.
The process takes years, even decades, making the kynam the rarest wood on earth. Agarwood, also known as aloeswood, eaglewood, jinkoh, and gaharu, is the regarded as the world’s most valuable incense.
Kynam wood uses
In Middle Eastern countries, Kynam wood is used as incense and used to welcome guests, while in other various other Arab nations, it is used to make exotic perfumes and scents. In Korea, the Kynam is used for making medicinal wine, while India, special incense and aromatic products are made from it.
